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32 PERSONS DETAINED UNDER EMERGENCY LAWS
(1)
Where a person is restricted-or detained by virtue of a law made pursuant to a declaration of a state
of emergency, the following provisions shall apply—
(a) he shall as soon as practicable, and in any case not later than twenty-four hours after the
commencement of the restriction or detention, be furnished with a statement in writing
specifying in detail the grounds upon which he is restricted or detained and the statement shall
be read or interpreted to the person restricted or detained;
(b) the spouse, parent, child or other available next of kin of the person restricted or detained shall
be informed of the detention or restriction within twenty-four hours after the commencement of
the detention or restriction and be permitted access to the person at the earliest practicable
opportunity, and in any case within twenty-four hours after the commencement of the
restriction or detention;
(c) not more than ten days after the commencement of his restriction or detention, a notification
shall be published in the Gazette and in the media stating that he has been restricted or detained
and giving particulars of the provision of law under which his restriction or detention is
authorised and the grounds of his restriction or detention;
(d) not more than ten days after commencement of his restriction or detention, and after that,
during his restriction or detention, at intervals of not more than three months, his case shall be
reviewed by a tribunal composed of not less than three Justices of the Superior Court of
Judicature appointed by the Chief Justice; except that the same tribunal shall not review more
than once the case of a person restricted or detained;
(e) he shall be afforded every possible facility to consult a lawyer of his choice who shall be
permitted to make representations to the tribunal appointed for the review of the case of the
restricted or detained person;
(f) at the hearing of his case, he shall be permitted to appear in person or by a lawyer of his choice.
(2)
On a review by a tribunal of the case of a restricted or detained person, the tribunal may order the
release of the person and the payment to him of adequate compensation or uphold the grounds of his
restriction or detention; and the authority by which the restriction or detention was ordered shall act
accordingly.
(3)
In every month in which there is a sitting of Parliament, a Minister of State authorised by the
President, shall make a report to Parliament of the number of persons restricted or detained by
virtue of such a law as is referred to in clause (10) of article 31 of this Constitution and the number of
cases in which the authority that ordered the restriction or detention has acted in accordance with
the decisions of the tribunal appointed under this article.
(4)
Notwithstanding clause (3) of this article, the Minister referred to in that clause shall publish every
month in the Gazette and in the media—
(a) the number and the names and addresses of the persons restricted or detained;
(b) the number of cases reviewed by the tribunal; and
(c) the number of cases in which the authority which ordered the restriction or detention has acted
in accordance with the decisions of the tribunal appointed under this article.
(5)
For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that, at the end of an emergency declared under
clause (1) of article 31 of this Constitution, a person in restriction or detention or in custody as a
result of the declaration of the emergency shall be released immediately.
Ghana 1992 (rev. 1996)
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