Supreme Court Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi has revealed that Ghana’s Superior Courts are currently handling nearly 30,000 pending cases, underscoring the growing workload facing the country’s judiciary while encouraging law students to pursue excellence with integrity and resilience.
Speaking as a Distinguished Alumnus during a lecture at the University of Ghana School of Law, Justice Kulendi disclosed that the Superior Courts are grappling with 29,498 pending cases, which he described as a challenge requiring sustained reforms rather than a sign of institutional failure.
Beginning his address on a personal note, Justice Kulendi described his return to his alma mater as “a singular privilege”, reflecting on how his time as a student shaped the values that have guided his legal career.
Before becoming a judge, he said, he was first a student who learnt that the legal profession demands hard work, focus, integrity and intellectual honesty.
Justice Kulendi also shared what he described as his “Wa boy” story, recounting his journey from Ghana’s Upper West Region to the Supreme Court, a path that made him the first Justice of the apex court from the region.
He encouraged the students to embrace integrity and perseverance, reminding them that although the legal system they will inherit is imperfect, every generation has a responsibility to improve it rather than become discouraged by its shortcomings.
Presenting data from the current legal year, Justice Kulendi said the Superior Courts received 4,347 new cases between October 2025 and March 2026, while 4,305 cases were concluded during the same period.
According to him, the High Court continues to bear the greatest burden, receiving 2,854 new cases and disposing of 2,860, yet still carrying 24,543 pending cases—more than 83 per cent of all matters before the Superior Courts.
He 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 suggests improvements in case management and the adoption of technology are beginning to reduce, rather than merely contain, the backlog.
Justice Kulendi further disclosed that the Court of Appeal received 1,214 appeals, concluded 1,195, and currently has 4,501 pending cases.
The Supreme Court, he added, received 279 new matters, disposed of 250, and has 454 pending cases.
While acknowledging the scale of the challenge, Justice Kulendi said the situation should be viewed as one of complexity rather than institutional failure.
He noted that the country’s 221 Superior Court judges—comprising 142 High Court judges, 61 Court of Appeal judges and 18 Supreme Court justices—collectively shoulder responsibility for nearly 30,000 pending cases.
He called for the appointment of more judges, improved case management systems and sustained investment in court technology to enhance the efficiency of Ghana’s justice delivery system.
Justice Kulendi shared the platform with fellow Supreme Court Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei as part of the University of Ghana School of Law’s “Conversations and Cocktail” series.
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