𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦

The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, has received the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) as part of the Committee’s three-day monitoring visit to the Upper East and Northern Regions to assess the operations and challenges confronting the Legal Aid Commission.

The Committee, led by its Chairperson and Member of Parliament for the Daboya/Mankarigu Constituency, Hon. Mahama Shaibu, paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, where discussions focused on strengthening access to legal aid services and improving the operational capacity of the Commission at the district level.

The monitoring exercise, which covered Bolgatanga and Tamale, was intended to enable the Committee to engage with the regional offices of the Legal Aid Commission, understand their operational challenges and identify practical measures to enhance the delivery of legal services, particularly to vulnerable and underserved persons.

A major concern highlighted during the engagement was the lack of adequate office accommodation for the Legal Aid Commission at the district level. The Committee noted that the absence of dedicated office spaces in the districts continues to affect the Commission’s ability to decentralise its operations and bring legal assistance closer to communities that need such services.

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Hon. Mahama Shaibu appealed to the Northern Regional Minister to support efforts to secure office accommodation for the Legal Aid Commission across all 16 districts of the Northern Region. He explained that providing suitable office spaces would enable the Commission to station personnel at the district level and operate more effectively.

He emphasised that decentralising the Commission’s operations would make legal aid services more accessible to residents, particularly poor and vulnerable individuals who may otherwise face difficulties travelling to the regional capital to seek legal assistance.

Hon. Shaibu further stressed the importance of collaboration between Parliament, the Regional Coordinating Council, district assemblies and other relevant stakeholders in addressing the logistical and infrastructural challenges confronting the Commission.

In response, the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, welcomed the Parliamentary Select Committee to the region and expressed appreciation for the Committee’s decision to undertake the monitoring exercise.

He welcomed the Committee on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Northern Region and commended Parliament for its efforts to assess the operations of institutions that provide essential services to the public.

The Minister underscored the critical role of the Legal Aid Commission in promoting access to justice, particularly for persons who may not have the financial capacity to engage private legal practitioners. He noted that access to justice remained an important component of good governance, social equity and the protection of citizens’ rights.

Hon. Adolf assured the Committee of the commitment of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council and the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to support efforts aimed at securing appropriate office accommodation for the Legal Aid Commission.

He indicated that the Regional Coordinating Council would engage the district assemblies to explore available options for providing suitable spaces for the Commission to establish its presence in the districts.

The Minister noted that a stronger presence of the Legal Aid Commission at the district level would help reduce barriers to justice and enable residents to obtain timely legal assistance within their communities.

He also encouraged the Committee and the Commission to maintain close collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council and the district assemblies in identifying sustainable solutions to the accommodation and other operational challenges confronting the Commission.

The engagement therefore provided an opportunity for Parliament and the Regional Administration to identify areas of collaboration towards improving the delivery of legal aid services in the Northern Region.

The Parliamentary Select Committee’s three-day monitoring visit is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges facing the Legal Aid Commission and inform appropriate interventions to strengthen its operations.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by the Regional Administration and the Parliamentary Select Committee to work together to improve the accessibility, effectiveness and decentralisation of legal aid services across the Northern Region.