Ghana's Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has urged Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to direct judges overseeing illegal mining, commonly known as 'galamsey,' cases to deliver their rulings within a month of the cases being brought to court.

Mr. Dame believes that such a directive would play a crucial role in addressing the ongoing environmental degradation caused by unregulated miners and unauthorized companies operating in Ghana's forest reserves and water bodies.

Addressing the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, held at the La Beach Hotel on Wednesday, October 2, the Attorney-General expressed his concerns about the slow pace of prosecuting galamsey cases. He warned that these delays were worsening the destruction of the country's natural resources.

"One category of cases whose speed of resolution by our courts, I often lament is the trial of illegal mining cases," he stated. "It is beyond argument that the form of illegal mining known as 'galamsey' continues to wreak incalculable damage to our forest reserves and river bodies. A major setback to the struggle against galamsey is the rate of adjudication and punishment of offenders."

In a direct appeal to the Chief Justice, Mr. Dame said: "Your ladyship, I therefore respectfully call on you to direct all judges sitting on galamsey cases to conclude the cases, the hearing of which has started, within one month from the commencement of the legal year on 10th October 2024."

The Attorney-General also called on politicians to refrain from encouraging illegal mining through their public statements and actions. He condemned any calls for leniency or amnesty for those engaged in galamsey, stressing that such individuals should face the full force of the law.

"Politicians must also desist from encouraging galamsey through their rhetoric and actions," Mr. Dame remarked. "Those who preach amnesty for galamsey offenders must be rejected. There should be no place for the grant of amnesty for such crimes in our body politic as the lives of citizens and the future of our nation are at risk."

The Attorney-General's remarks come amid growing public pressure on the government to hold accountable Municipal and District Chief Executives under whose watch illegal mining activities continue. One of the prominent voices calling for such action is Kenneth Ashigbey, Convener of the Media Coalition against Galamsey.

Illegal mining remains a significant challenge in Ghana, with disastrous effects on water bodies and the environment. Despite various government interventions, including the deployment of security forces to combat the menace, galamsey persists.

In response to the worsening situation, President Akufo-Addo recently established a five-member ad hoc ministerial committee to engage stakeholders and reassess the government's efforts to tackle illegal mining.

Amid the reassessment, calls for more drastic measures, including a nationwide ban on small-scale mining and the declaration of a state of emergency, have gained traction. However, government officials have pushed back on these demands, citing the economic contributions of small-scale gold mining to the country's economy.