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Ghana’s Superior Courts are currently handling nearly 29,500 pending cases, Supreme Court Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi has disclosed.
Justice Kulendi revealed the figures while delivering a lecture at the University of Ghana School of Law as part of his recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus. He used the occasion to reflect on his journey from the Upper West Region to Ghana’s highest court, becoming the first Supreme Court Justice from the region.
Describing his return to his alma mater as “a singular privilege,” Justice Kulendi said his experience had reinforced the importance of hard work, focus, integrity and intellectual honesty—values he learnt as a student and which, he said, have remained central to his professional career.
He shared what he described as his “Wa boy” story, recounting his journey from the Upper West Region to the Supreme Court. He used his personal experience to encourage law students to approach the legal profession with determination and integrity, stressing that although Ghana’s justice system has challenges, lawyers must not become resigned to them.
Presenting data from the current legal year, Justice Kulendi said the Superior Courts received 4,347 new cases between October 2025 and March 2026 and concluded 4,305 cases during the same period.
The High Court recorded the largest caseload, receiving 2,854 new cases and concluding 2,860, while carrying a backlog of 24,543 pending cases. This represents more than 83 percent of all pending matters before the Superior Courts.
Justice Kulendi described the High Court as the “engine room of Ghana’s judicial system”, noting that its ability to conclude slightly more cases than it received was an indication that improvements in case management and the use of technology were beginning to help reduce the backlog.
The Court of Appeal received 1,214 appeals during the period and concluded 1,195, leaving 4,501 cases pending. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, received 279 new matters, disposed of 250, and had 454 pending cases.
Justice Kulendi described the situation as a complex challenge rather than an institutional failure, pointing to the number of judges currently serving across the Superior Courts. He noted that **221 judges—142 at the High Court, 61 at the Court of Appeal and 18 at the Supreme Court—**are collectively responsible for handling almost 30,000 pending cases.
He therefore called for an increase in the number of judges, stronger case-management systems and sustained investment in technology to improve the efficiency of the justice delivery system.
Justice Kulendi delivered the lecture alongside fellow Supreme Court Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei as part of the University of Ghana School of Law’s “Conversations and Cocktail” series.
Source:Omanghana.com
