In a report by graphic.com.gh on February 5, 2026, the Chief Justice explained that prisons are primarily intended to reform offenders, but excessively lengthy sentences often defeat that goal. Court congestion undermining justice delivery - Chief JusticeHe stressed that although long sentences may be justified in some cases, they often undermine the reformative purpose of imprisonment. When I was a High Court judge, I gave Ataa Ayi 70 years, so I am not against long sentences. But long sentences really affect the prison population and, sometimes, they are counterproductive,” he said. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie also attributed prison congestion to delays in the judicial process, particularly the lengthy time suspects spend on remand.

Source: GhanaWeb February 06, 2026 18:47 UTC