Ghanaian courts to get speech-to-text technology for local language translation – Chief Justice

The Judicial Service of Ghana is working towards introducing advanced speech-to-text technology capable of translating testimony delivered in Ghanaian languages directly into English during court proceedings.

The Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who disclosed the initiative, said efforts were underway to secure funding for the equipment, which is expected to improve the recording and transcription of court proceedings.

The proposed technology would represent an improvement over the existing transcription systems, which currently rely on English interpretations provided by court interpreters.

According to the Chief Justice, the new system is expected to process spoken local languages, including Ga, and produce English translations without relying solely on the interpreter's spoken version.

He expressed optimism that the initiative could be implemented before the end of 2026.

“We are in the process of receiving funding for a text machinery to help us speech-to-text. The speech-to-text machines we have can only capture interpretation of the interpreter. We are getting to where a language in Ga would be translated in English,” he explained.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie announced the development while addressing members of the Bar at the Supreme Court on October 15, 2026, following their return from the legal vacation.

Courts to notify lawyers of cancelled sittings

Beyond the planned technological improvements, the Chief Justice announced new administrative measures aimed at addressing complaints about communication between court registries and legal practitioners.

He disclosed that a circular had been issued directing court registrars, as far as practicable, to notify lawyers and litigants in advance whenever a judge would be unavailable to sit.

The directive follows concerns raised by lawyers who sometimes travel to court only to discover that their cases cannot be heard because the presiding judge is unavailable.

Under the arrangement, lawyers are expected to provide accurate and reliable contact information to the relevant court registries to facilitate communication.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie explained that the notification system is intended to help lawyers manage their professional schedules and avoid unnecessary journeys to court.

He cautioned, however, that the arrangement should not be interpreted as an indication of any special interest by judges or court officials in particular cases.

Major changes expected in High Court Civil Procedure Rules

The Chief Justice also disclosed that the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47), are undergoing a review that could introduce significant changes to civil litigation procedures.

He urged legal practitioners to familiarise themselves with the anticipated amendments once the revised rules become available.

“CI 47 is now going through relaying and a lot of changes will happen and I will advise that when it comes you get yourself updated,” he stated.

The anticipated changes form part of ongoing efforts to improve the administration of justice and the procedures governing civil proceedings before the High Court.

Chief Justice seeks cooperation ahead of retirement

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie also appealed to members of the Bar to support the Judiciary in disposing of pending cases before his retirement, scheduled for December 26, 2026.

He acknowledged the cooperation of judges and lawyers during the previous legal year, noting that their collective efforts contributed to the management of the substantial number of cases before the courts.

With his retirement approaching, he urged legal practitioners to maintain that commitment to ensure that more cases are dealt with within the remaining period.

“I will retire by December 26, so between now and then I will plead with you so we deal with as many cases as we can,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the Bar, the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, welcomed the initiative to improve communication between court registries and lawyers.

He also welcomed Justices Sophia Rosetta Bernasco Essah and Anthony Forson Jnr., two of the three newly approved Supreme Court justices, who were making their first appearance at the apex court.

The announced initiatives signal the Judiciary's intention to combine technological improvements,