President pledges sustenance of fund for Legal Aid, Law Reform Commissions

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has promised to ensure the sustenance of the newly launched funds for the Law Reform Commission and the Legal Aid Commission.

Speaking at the event, he said: “I assure the Attorney-General, that the minister for finance through Parliament will provide more adequate resources for the sustenance of these funds.

Being fully aware of the significance of development and the laws of any country, not only will I launch this critical fund, but I also throw my full weight behind all activities which will result in the mobilization of additional resources for the work of the Law Reform Commission.”

The creation of the funds is stipulated in section 10 of the Law Reform Commission Act of 2011, Act 822, and section 31 of the Legal Aid Commission Act of 2018, Act 977. The funds according to the President, should have been in operation some 10 years ago. 

Establishment  of the  Legal   Aid  Fund

31· There is established by this Act the Legal  Aid  Fund.

 Object  of the  Fund

32.  The  Object of the  Fund is to ensure the financial capacity of the Commission to efficiently and effectively carry out its mandate under this Act.

 Sources  of  money  for  the  Fund

33.  The sources of money  for the Fund  are

(a) moneys  approved by Parliament;

(b) interest accruing  from the investment  of the fund;

(c) moneys   paid  or  recovered   by  the  Commission    in  the performance  of the functions  of the Commission;  and

(d) donations  and gifts.

Bank  account   of  the  Fund

34.  Moneys for the Fund shall be paid into a bank account opened for

that purpose by the Commission  with the approval  of the Controller and

Accountant-General.

Establishment of the Law Reform Fund

10. There is established under this Act, the Law Reform Fund.

Objects of the Fund

11.The objects of the Fund are

(a) to undertake projects for the development and reform of laws,

(2') to develop human resource in law reform, and

(c) for any other purpose that may be determined by the Board.

Sources of money for the Fund

12. The sources of money for the Fund are

(a) moneys approved by Parliament,

(1') moneys accruing to the Commission in the performance of its functions,

(c) donations, grants and gifts, and

(d) any other moneys that are approved by the Minister responsible for Finance.

Management of the Fund

13. (1) The Board shall in consultation with the Minister and the Controller and Accountant-General provide for the day to day manage­ment of the Fund.

(2) Despite subsection (1), the Board is responsible for the man­agement of the Fund.

(3) In furtherance of subsection (1), the Board shall

(a)    open a bank account for the Fund,

(b)   identify additional sources of funding,

(c)    recommend to the Minister additional sources and level of payments into the Fund,

 (d)   prepare and publish procedures for the disbursement of the Fund,

 (e)    determine the expenditure programmes from the Fund taking into consideration the

 provisions of this Act and government policy, in consultation with the Minister and Minister for Finance invest part of the Fund in appropriate ventures, and

(g) perform other functions incidental to the administration of the Fund.

“I’m hopeful that the launch of these funds will usher in a new progressive chapter in the lives of the two commissions. I urge all gathered here to contribute generously towards the funds and I also urge the board of the Legal Aid Commission, which is chaired by a respected Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Nene Ametgatcher, and the board of the Law Reform Commission, which is chaired by the prominent legal practitioner, Mr. Anthony Akoto Ampaw, to discharge faithfully, dutifully, the mandates of managing the funds in accordance with section 34 Act 977 and section 13 of Act 822 respectively,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The Ministry of Finance will be contributing a seed amount of GH¢1 million to each of the funds.