Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, a Supreme Court Judge, says the judiciary is committed to supporting the national fight against illegal mining.
He said the judiciary would work with the Executive and Parliament to enforce laws on environmental degradation.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Chief Justice’s Mentoring Programme in Accra, Justice Pwamang announced that three High Courts were being refurbished and assigned judges to handle cases arising from the National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations and other matters relating to the loss of state property through environmental damage.
He said the courts were expected to begin operations early next year.
The programme, on the theme “Advocating Greener Sustainable Justice: The Environment and Justice,” brought together students from 11 senior high schools, the Orange Girls groups in Accra and Kumasi, and the United Nations Youth Association.
Justice Pwamang said the judiciary was committed to mentoring young people and, through the Justice Clubs, would promote “green campuses and schools that engage in waste segregation.”
He urged the youth to demand accountability on environmental issues and said the judiciary would strengthen Environmental Clubs nationwide, with 13 more expected to be inaugurated next year.
Justice Pwamang said the judiciary would continue to enforce environmental laws, adding that “we cannot succeed if we have a population which does not cooperate with us.”
He said the theme was timely, as climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and unsustainable resource use threatened ecosystems, public health, food security and livelihoods.
The Supreme Court judge said the judiciary’s commitment to justice could not be complete if it ignored the environment, noting that sustainable justice required protecting natural resources and safeguarding future generations.
He said courts globally were increasingly handling environmental disputes, including illegal mining, pollution, land degradation, forest infractions and human rights concerns.
Mr Kofi Armah Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said parts of Ghana’s environment had become “a crime scene.”
He said the fight against galamsey was “the ultimate test of Ghana’s rule of law” and that government was committed to halting degradation and reclaiming lands.
Mr Buah said the country’s forests and water bodies were sacrosanct and must be protected.
He said that all excavators imported into Ghana were being tracked and geo‑fenced, with more than 1,200 currently unclaimed at military barracks.
Mr Musah Ahmed, Judicial Secretary, said the theme for the event underscored that “justice goes beyond our courtrooms and statutes. It encompasses our duty to safeguard the environment that sustains us all.”
He said environmental sustainability was both a legal and moral responsibility requiring the involvement of youth, communities, institutions, and policymakers.
