Private legal practitioner and social activist Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor has called for greater support for Ghana’s jury system and judicial staff, arguing that an effective justice system requires more than judges alone to function properly.
In remarks shared on the subject, Barker-Vormawor expressed strong support for the jury system, describing his preference for expanding its use across a wider range of cases within Ghana’s courts. “Our justice system needs more than judges to be effective. I love the jury system. So I wish we could expand on that for many other cases,” he said.
Barker-Vormawor turned his attention to how jurors are currently treated within the system, criticising the low compensation they receive despite the demanding responsibilities placed on them. “We need better support for jurors. We pay them peanuts, and ask a lot of them. Without gratitude,” he said.
He pushed back against what he described as a dismissive attitude toward jurors, reminding critics that these individuals remain ordinary citizens fulfilling a civic duty rather than compelled labourers. “They are humans too. Not our slaves. But when you see how jurors are spoken to, it will annoy you,” he said.
Despite the criticism jurors sometimes face, Barker-Vormawor expressed a strong personal preference for their judgment over that of trained legal professionals in certain circumstances. “As for me, I have more faith in a jury of ordinary fair minded people than some trained judges,” he said.
Judicial Officers Face Financial Struggles Too
Beyond jurors, Barker-Vormawor extended his concern to judicial officers working within Ghana’s court system, highlighting what he described as inadequate compensation for those tasked with keeping the justice system running.
He pointed to a troubling irony in this situation, noting that many judicial officers would struggle to afford legal representation themselves if they ever faced a legal issue, despite working within the very system meant to provide justice.
“While on the subject, it’s also important that we address the issues facing judicial officers. Persons working for our courts are some of the most underpaid workers in Ghana. For many of them, if they encounter a legal issue, they won’t be able to afford a lawyer”.
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Activist
To illustrate the absurdity of this situation, Barker-Vormawor drew a comparison to the medical profession, framing the predicament of underpaid judicial officers as analogous to healthcare workers unable to access care themselves. “That makes no sense to me! It’s like a doctor who cannot afford healthcare when they are sick,” he said.
This comparison underscores his broader argument that those who sustain critical public systems, whether health or justice, should not find themselves excluded from the very services their work makes possible for others.
A Call for Structural Support
Barker-Vormawor framed his remarks as part of a broader argument about how Ghana’s justice system could improve, insisting that meaningful reform depends on supporting the people who keep it functioning day to day.
“Our justice system can work better, if we support those who run the system,” he said. He went further to propose a concrete solution, suggesting that private legal practices could step in to offer free legal support specifically for judicial officers facing legal difficulties of their own.
“Perhaps Merton and Everett LLP should start a pro bono service for judicial officers who encounter any legal issue,” he said.
A Broader Conversation on Justice System Reform
Barker-Vormawor’s comments touch on issues that extend beyond compensation alone, raising questions about how Ghana’s justice system values the people who make it work at every level, from jurors called upon for civic duty to court staff who process cases daily under difficult financial conditions.
His remarks arrive at a time when broader conversations about institutional reform, accountability and fair treatment within Ghana’s public institutions continue to gain attention across various sectors.
Whether his specific proposal for pro bono legal support gains traction remains to be seen, but his comments add a distinct voice to ongoing discussions about strengthening the human infrastructure behind Ghana’s justice delivery system.
For now, Barker-Vormawor’s remarks stand as a pointed reminder that a functioning justice system depends not only on legal frameworks and court decisions, but on the wellbeing and fair treatment of the people, jurors and judicial staff alike, who keep that system running.
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