Behind the locked doors of police cells across Ghana, hundreds of citizens awaiting bail or detention reviews remain trapped in legal uncertainty. With the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) entering its second week of strike action, faith leaders warn that the labor dispute is rapidly spiraling into a severe humanitarian crisis.
In an urgent appeal released in Accra today, the Coalition of Muslim Organizations Ghana (COMOG) implored President John Dramani Mahama to take personal charge of negotiations before the judicial standstill inflicts further damage on vulnerable citizens and national stability.
“Access to justice is essential to the protection of liberty, human dignity, livelihoods and national stability,” stated COMOG General Secretary Abdul Majeed Musah Esq. “Every additional day of disruption deepens the distress of individuals and families who depend on the courts.”
A System Frozen at Both Ends
While labor disputes typically center on administrative figures and pay scales, the human toll of this five-day strike is being felt most acutely by those least able to bear it.
According to COMOG, the paralysis touches every layer of Ghanaian civil and social life:
● Deprivation of Liberty: Suspects in police custody face indefinite delays for bail hearings and legality checks on their detention.
● Vulnerable Dependents Left Unprotected: Child custody disputes and emergency maintenance applications remain stranded in frozen court dockets.
● Economic Stagnation: Litigants in land, commercial, and inheritance cases are locked out of their properties and financial relief, while paying out-of-pocket for fruitless travel to empty courthouses.
● Compounding Backlogs: Postponed hearings are creating an unprecedented backlog that threatens to swamp the judicial system long after work resumes.
“For those awaiting an opportunity to seek bail or have the legality of their continued detention considered, these delays carry profound human consequences,” Musah cautioned, pointing out the mounting financial and psychological distress suffered by affected families.
Balancing Worker Rights with National Interest
COMOG made clear that its intervention is not a dismissal of JUSAG’s grievances. The coalition explicitly acknowledged that judicial staff perform essential national service and deserve fair, prompt resolution regarding their pay and working conditions.
“COMOG recognises the vital contribution of Judicial Service staff and the importance of addressing their concerns over remuneration and conditions of service fairly and promptly,” the release noted. “Their welfare deserves serious attention, and a lasting settlement must be supported by clear commitments and credible implementation timelines.”
However, the organization appealed directly to JUSAG leadership to show flexibility in light of public suffering.
“In the national interest, we ask JUSAG to consider suspending the industrial action to allow court services to resume while outstanding matters are resolved through good-faith negotiations,” the coalition urged, calling for a “win-win outcome” that preserves staff dignity while restoring public rights.
Call for Emergency Judicial Relief
To prevent further unlawful detention, COMOG urged judicial leadership to establish emergency administrative channels immediately for time-sensitive cases, such as bail applications and the release of individuals already granted lawful discharge orders.
“Justice delayed carries a human cost,” the coalition concluded. “We appeal for immediate action to restore full access to justice for all Ghanaians.”
