Accra:Dr. Dominic A. Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has called on the Legal Aid Commission to extend its services to district-level communities and organize regular mobile legal clinics to enhance access to justice.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Ayine emphasized the need for the Commission's presence to be felt beyond regional capitals. He suggested setting up district offices and holding mobile legal clinics in accessible locations such as markets, community centers, and traditional council halls on specific days to ensure people know where and when they can receive help.
During a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the Commission's 2026 Legal Aid Week at the Law Court Complex in Accra, Dr. Ayine highlighted the theme of the week, "Justice at Your Doorstep." He also proposed deploying lawyers to police stations and courts to protect individuals who are vulnerable to losing their liberties. Dr. Ayine stressed that crucial moments in criminal cases often occur at police stations, advocating for a duty-lawyer scheme to provide legal support during initial police and court encounters, as stipulated in Article 14(2) of the Constitution.
He urged the Commission to regularly review cases involving those in custody to prevent prolonged detention without representation. Additionally, Dr. Ayine expressed his intention to engage the Ghana Bar Association to encourage more pro bono work and suggested that law faculties and the Ghana School of Law should operate supervised legal clinics to train paralegals and community legal volunteers.
Dr. Ayine shared his belief that poverty often silences individuals, and effective legal representation could significantly alter case outcomes. He described legal aid as essential to his practice and committed to strengthening these programs. He called for transforming legal aid into a functional reality and emphasized the importance of alternative dispute resolution services to settle disputes efficiently and amicably.
He also advocated using technology to improve service access, proposing a toll-free legal aid line and digital intake systems, as well as providing legal information in local languages. Dr. Ayine suggested a shared case-management system to prevent clients from falling through institutional gaps. He noted that legal aid requires consistent funding from the national budget and development partners, and urged the publication of annual performance reports.
Finally, Dr. Ayine assured that the Office of the Attorney General would support legal and policy reforms, ensuring prosecutors uphold the rights of the accused to legal representation. He concluded by emphasizing that the justice system should be measured by how it treats the underprivileged, urging the Commission to fulfill the promises of the Legal Aid Week theme.