Jurors in the Ashanti Region will resume work today after weeks of being on strike.
The decision to call off the strike follows a meeting with the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo.
The jurors had been demanding the payment of arrears for their allowances. The Foreman of the Jurors in the Ashanti Region, Albert Arkah, confirmed that work will start again today.
“I will talk to my people on the platform, those who came and those who couldn’t, that on Monday, we are going to court to perform our duties that the state has assigned us. On Monday, after meeting the Chief Justice, we have resolved to return to the courts,” the Foreman of the Jurors in the Ashanti Region said.
Since the beginning of November 2023, jurors in the Ashanti region abandoned duty due to unpaid allowances and have been urging the government to step in to address their concerns before they return to the courts.
The strike action disrupted legal proceedings, including cases of murder and other high-profile cases in the region.
Despite the government releasing funds to cover three months out of the thirteen months owed to them, the jurors refused to return to court, explaining that the available funds were insufficient.
The Chief Justice, during her visit to Kumasi to address the issue, noted that although plans were in place to meet the aggrieved jurors, she was pushed to work on it urgently following a report that highlighted the plight of the jurors.
The Chief Justice thus urged the jurors to resume work, expressing a strong commitment to ensuring all their concerns are addressed promptly.
