Lawyer raises concern over lack of compensation for acquitted persons after prolonged detention

A lawyer has raised concern over the lack of a compensation mechanism for people who spend months or years in detention before being acquitted by courts.

Advocate Ferdinand John Koffi said the current court system has no established procedure to provide remedies for individuals who suffer psychological, financial and social consequences after prolonged pre-trial detention.

He said some accused persons spend six months, one year or even a year and a half in prison waiting for their cases to be heard, only to be declared innocent after enduring long periods behind bars.

“Unfortunately, under the current legal practice in our courts, there is no established system for compensating an accused person for such circumstances. For example, someone may be arrested, formally charged by the prosecution and have their case referred to court. They may then spend a year and a half in detention awaiting trial, only for the court to eventually declare them innocent,” Koffi said.

“Yet, there is no established mechanism through which that person can receive compensation for the period spent in detention. Spent in prison while awaiting trial. We are not even talking about financial compensation alone.”

Koffi said acquittal does not erase the suffering caused by prolonged detention, which can leave individuals struggling with psychological trauma, financial losses and social challenges.

He called for a system that provides affected individuals with financial compensation, psychological support and rehabilitation to help restore their dignity after detention.

“There should also be psychological support and rehabilitation because detention can have serious psychological consequences. Some people suffer psychologically, others financially, while others experience social difficulties as a result of being detained,” he stated.

Koffi also called on the Judiciary, police, prosecution and National Prison Service to improve coordination and ensure accused persons do not spend unnecessary periods in detention awaiting trial.

He said addressing the problem requires administrative improvements and legal reforms, including reviewing existing laws to guarantee timely court proceedings.

“I believe the solutions are more administrative than purely legal, although there is also a need for legal reforms. First, we need to review our existing laws and legislation. There should be clear legal provisions requiring timely court proceedings and preventing unnecessary delays,” he said.