Accra, April 24, GNA - The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and the Judicial Service on Thursday signed an implementing entity agreement to commence a pilot project aimed at clearing the back-log of land cases pending before the courts.

The agreement would ensure that farmers have access to land and prevent constraints on commercial farming activities.

It would also be a major step in the Land Tenure Facility Activity under the United States funded Millennium Challenge Compact programme, a component which aims at agricultural transformation, poverty reduction and land ownership. The partnership between the two institutions would utilize 607,410 dollars out of the MCA Land Tenure Facilitation Activity budget of 10.7 million dollars.

Activities to be embarked on include automation of 10 selected Circuit Courts and development of manuals on the various Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures.

The automated courts would be located in Swedru, Nsawam, Odumase, Kpando, Hohoe, Aflao, Keta, Sogakope, Mpraeso, Tamale and Afram Plains. The programme, developed in three phases includes conducting survey of land cases; engaging public, traditional authorities, government officials, opinion leaders and local residents to discuss issues on ADRs and laws relating to rightful acquisition of land; and the training of judges, mediators and judicial staff.

It is estimated that there are 40,000 land cases pending before courts nation wide.

Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the Chief Justice, signed for the Judicial Service while Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer, MiDA, signed for his organization. In his remarks, Mr. Eson-Benjamin said the Land Tenure Facilitation Activity under the MCA Ghana programme was to improve tenure security for existing land users and facilitate access to land for commercial crops.

He noted that lands locked up in litigation cannot be made available for economic activities. The CEO said the Judicial Service under the agreement would refurbish the 10 selected courts adding that the service had nine months to deliver the objectives of the agreement.

Mrs Justice Wood said one of the important components of agricultural projects was the Land Tenure Facilitation Activity which was aimed at improving access to land and security of land rights. She underscored the importance of Ghana's Land Administration Project (LAP) saying it was aimed at remedying problems of poor documentation of customary land holdings, indeterminate boundaries of private and other land holdings, conflicting records of land rights and delays in negotiating and registering acquisition and transfer of land rights through a systematic reform of policies and institutional framework.

The Chief Justice was grateful to MiDA for assisting the Judicial Service to establish expeditious and inexpensive ways to resolve land disputes and reduce backlog of land dispute cases in the 10 selected Circuit Courts. She pledged the Judicial Service's commitment to fulfil its part of the agreement to ensure that the selected courts were suitably refurbished in readiness for automation.

According to her, MiDA's would not only clear backlog of cases but also improve the administration of justice.