GHANA · COURTS · LABOUR
Ghana’s courts will stay largely empty again on Monday 9 November 2026, after the two unions representing court staff extended their strike. The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), the union of Judicial Service staff, and the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service (SSAJUG) told every member to stay home.
The order, signed on Sunday 8 November, also covers staff at the Supreme Court, Ghana’s highest court, which had kept sitting in the first week. For investors, lawyers and families with cases in Ghana, it means hearings, filings and bail applications can stall for a second week.
Key Facts
- The country Ghana’s court staff, employed by the Judicial Service, the administrative arm of the country’s courts, are again told to stay home.
- The unions JUSAG, the union of Judicial Service staff, and SSAJUG, the senior staff union, signed the joint order.
- What changed The strike, begun on Monday 2 November, continues from Monday 9 November.
- The dispute Staff want reviewed pay approved and ten months of 2026 back pay, called arrears, paid.
- The catch The unions say neither government nor court management had answered by Sunday afternoon.
What the Unions Said on Sunday
The joint statement carries the names of Abdulai Yakubu, JUSAG’s general secretary, and George Taylor, SSAJUG’s general secretary. It says all staff, including those at the Supreme Court, must stay away from work while the strike lasts.
The unions say they sent their revised position to government on Thursday 5 November. By 4:00 pm on Sunday 8 November, they say, they had received no official reply from the government or from Judicial Service management.
The unions describe their revised demands as the best position they can offer. They say the aim is to improve staff living conditions and restore justice delivery.
How the Strike Began
JUSAG announced the strike at a press conference at the Supreme Court on Friday 30 October, and it took effect on Monday 2 November. The union demanded that President John Mahama of Ghana approve reviewed salaries, that they be paid in November, and that arrears for January to October 2026 be settled.
Security staff were told to stay at their posts to protect court property. The Supreme Court still sat on Tuesday 3 November, on the Chief Justice’s instruction.
The unions say the President must approve the pay review itself before staff return. Talks with Judicial Service management have continued without ending the strike.
Article 149 and CI 141 in Plain English
Article 149 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution says judicial officers receive the salaries and benefits the President decides, acting on the advice of the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council is the constitutional body that advises on running the courts.
Pay for non-judge staff falls under Article 158, which lets the Judicial Council set their terms and conditions with the President’s prior approval, after consulting the Public Services Commission, the body that oversees civil-service staffing. CI 141, a legal instrument, sets out the Judicial Service (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, 2025, and JUSAG has cited it, including its Regulation 25, as the basis for the revised conditions it wants implemented.
What It Means for You
If you have a case in a Ghanaian court, expect adjournments and slow court offices until the strike ends. Bail and remand hearings, filings and judgments all depend on court staff, though no official count of delayed cases has been published.
For businesses with disputes in Accra’s commercial courts, the delay adds to existing backlogs and may push settlement talks or arbitration steps back. US companies and members of the Ghanaian diaspora with property or inheritance matters should ask their local lawyers which hearings are affected, and whether any cross-border requests, such as extradition papers or enforcement of foreign awards, are waiting for a registry.
Ghana’s wider economic picture is in our explainer on the end of its IMF programme, and its regional weight is in Ghana’s role in Africa. Our Ghana hub tracks further developments, and Africa: The New Scramble sets out the broader contest for the continent.
What Is Not Known
Neither the government nor the Judicial Service has said when it will answer the unions’ revised demands. It is also unclear whether the Supreme Court can sit this week, and how many cases have been adjourned.
No figure has been published for the total cost of the pay review. It is also unclear what would persuade staff to return if the President approves the review but arrears stay unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is on strike in Ghana’s courts?
Court staff belonging to JUSAG, the union of Judicial Service staff, and SSAJUG, the Judicial Service’s senior staff union.
When did the strike start and when does it continue?
It began on Monday 2 November 2026 and was extended on Sunday 8 November. All staff are told to stay home from Monday 9 November.
What do the unions want?
Presidential approval of reviewed salaries, payment of the new pay in November, and arrears for January to October 2026. They cite Article 149 of the Constitution and CI 141.
Is the Supreme Court affected?
Yes. It sat on 3 November, but the 8 November statement tells staff serving at the Supreme Court to stay away from Monday 9 November.
Sources: Joint statement of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service (SSAJUG), 8 November 2026; JUSAG strike notice, 30 October 2026; Judicial Service of Ghana (judicial.gov.gh); Constitution of Ghana 1992, Articles 149 and 158.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error