The Chief Justice, Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah has directed all Judges and Magistrates to hear cases which are of extreme emergency.

He has also asked them to exercise “great restraint” in remanding accused in order to avoid overcrowding in prisons and police cells.

A statement issued from the office of the Chief Justice in Accra, was in line with directives of the President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo as part of measures put in by institutions to combat the spread of COVOD-19.

The President in a national address last night called for the suspension of activities of churches, schools, funerals and other social gatherings to fight the spread of the pandemic.

The statement said the “courts will practice case management techniques such that only parties and witnesses in cases listed to be heard on particular dates would be allowed into the room to avoid large gatherings.

Judges and Magistrate should endeavour to adjourned cases to specific times on given dates, to limit the number of people that will be followed into the court room.”

According to the statement, cause lists should be reduced drastically for few cases to be listed for hearing.

It further ordered Magistrates and Judges to suspend the hearing of cases involving the movement of convicted and remand prisoners from the prisons to the courts.

“In criminal appeals the courts should dispense with the appearance of the appellants who are in prison custody,” the statement added.

The statement indicated that “sanitizers are being provided for court users and arrangement are being made to have the court rooms regularly disinfected.”