Ghana's Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has taken a significant step towards reforming the nation's justice delivery system with the formal establishment of a Specialised High Court Division.

Judicial Secretary, Musah Ahmed, explained this initiative as a principled application of "specialisation," akin to the economic concept of division of labour, aimed at achieving efficient, speedy, and effective production within the courts.

This pivotal move was formally announced via a circular signed on February 5, 2026, building upon the Chief Justice's broader judicial reform agenda since his swearing-in on November 17, 2025.

The core rationale behind this specialisation is to tackle the long-standing problem of case delays and to ensure that justice is delivered effectively and without undue procrastination.

Ahmed emphasized that the existing court structure is not being dismantled but rather deliberately deepened to allow judges to focus on specific subject matters. This approach, he argued, will address the inefficiencies of the old model where individual judges juggled diverse cases, leading to delays and a lack of focused decision-making.

The mandate of the Specialised High Court Division is comprehensive and targets matters of critical national interest.

It encompasses corruption and public accountability cases, particularly those arising from the Auditor-General's reports, galamsey (illegal mining) and environmental crimes under the Minerals and Mining Act, state asset recovery, organised crime, narcotics offences, and cybersecurity cases under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020.

This initiative directly responds to widespread public outcry concerning the slow pace of justice in cases involving public funds and the devastating impact of illegal mining on the nation's natural resources.

To ensure the efficacy of these specialised courts, they will be resourced differently, both in terms of equipment and human capital.

Crucially, the judges assigned to this division are not new recruits but rather existing members of the Superior Court of Judicature who have undergone specialised training in relevant fields such as maritime law, cybersecurity, and financial crime.

Musah Ahmed revealed that a significant number of these highly experienced judges will be drawn from the Court of Appeal, signaling the judiciary's commitment to deploying its most skilled personnel to handle these sensitive and complex cases with dispatch.

Complementing the Specialised High Court Division, the Chief Justice has introduced additional reforms designed to alleviate judicial workload and expedite proceedings. These include the establishment of afternoon courts, which will redistribute cases from morning sessions to dedicated afternoon judges, thereby reducing the caseload on individual judges.

Furthermore, High Court offices have been mandated to remain open for extended hours, from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays, marking a significant departure from traditional operating times.

This extension creates the necessary operational window to effectively run both morning and afternoon court sessions and manage increased caseloads without further delays.

The legal foundation for these reforms is robust, with Ahmed pointing to Section 14(3) of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459), which confers the necessary powers on the Chief Justice.

He also referenced CI 47, Order One of the Rules of Court, which explicitly mandates the rules to achieve efficient and speedy justice, underscoring that these reforms are not merely administrative preferences but a fulfilment of existing legal obligations.

The Judicial Service is also actively revising the Rules of Court, with new rules expected to come into force by March 2026, alongside planned technological innovations to further enhance justice delivery across the board.

These comprehensive reforms have garnered high-level support, with Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang reaffirming her commitment to efforts aimed at improving efficiency and access to justice after being briefed by the Chief Justice on the judiciary's key achievements and reform plans.

The holistic system, combining specialisation, expanded operating hours, and improved resource allocation, is poised to transform Ghana's justice landscape, enhance public confidence, and ensure that critical cases are resolved with the speed and focus they demand.