Lawyers and their clients who thronged the Supreme Court, this morning, were treated to a rude shock after waiting for the panel of judges to sit and hear their cases as well as deliver judgement.

But after about two hours in the courtroom, the registrar of the court, walked in and announced that the Supreme Court, has suspended all its sittings indefinitely.

The lawyers and their clients, were instructed to go home and wait for further notice. The registrar did not explain why the apex court will not be sitting henceforth.

But The Herald, reported today, that the deadly Coronavirus pandemic has hit the Ghana's Judiciary, with some senior judges and their staff down with the disease and are either in isolation or treatment.

The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah, is mentioned as one of the Supreme Court judges who has tested positive of the disease. He is reported to have handed over all his official duties to Justice Jones Dotse and gone into treatment.

He was not at work on Monday and yesterday, and will not be available for today, Wednesday, July 8, 2020.

Other members of the Chief Justice's family are also reported to have tested positive of the virus.

The Herald's information are that there have been a series of the COVID-19 tests at the superior courts including the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, during which some tested positive of the virus.

Additional information available to this paper is that some courtrooms and offices located within the law complex building in Accra, have been closed.

The Lands Court and the Human Rights Court Registry, The Herald was told are among the places closed down as a result of the virus.

Additional information available to The Herald is that some of the judges are currently on admission at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Legon.

Against, wise counsel and fears of COVID-19 spread, the Supreme Court, two weeks ago, unanimous ruled that the Electoral Commission (EC) should go ahead and compile a new register.

The seven-member panel that heard the case was presided over by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah. Other panel members are Justices Jones Dotse, Paul Baffoe Bonnie, Sule Gbagegbe, Samuel K. Marful-Sau, Nene Amegatcher, and Professor Ashie Kotey.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) recently called for swift prosecution of all persons including the EC staff, officials, commissioners, voter I.D card applicants, observers and political party agents who may be responsible for any breaches of any COVID-19 preventive protocol.

The GMA made this known in a letter to the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah addressing the ongoing Voters' registration and the need for adherence to the safety protocols at all registration centres across the country to mitigate the spread of the virus.

But a group of medical practitioners later petitioned the EC to stop the ongoing voters' registration exercise over some breaches of Covid-19 preventive protocols at centres across the country and "figure out safer ways of carrying it out."

According to the group, the development has the propensity to result in a spike in novel coronavirus cases in the country.

The group, in an open letter to the EC Chairperson Jean Mensa believes, such a situation is likely to turn our dire for the country as reports are rife of an already overstretched nature of health facilities to handle the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

"A significant reduction in the number of effective health workers available to render preventive, curative, and rehabilitative care for patients. This will occur because the already high number of infected health workers is likely to remain on that trajectory, with a concomitant increase in the number of deaths from COVID-19 if care is not taken. In addition, a higher number of specialist staff would be required to take care of the ever-increasing number of "sick people" with COVID-19 leading to even fewer health workers available to treat non- COVID-19 conditions," the petition read.

More to come!

Source: theheraldghana.com