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Sunday, 23 August 2026
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Sunday, 23 August 2026
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Ghanaian press · Organization

Provisional National Defence Council

Also known as: PNDC

2026-04-242026-08-23

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026
  2. The Chronicle

    He further accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of historically using criminal libel laws to suppress journalists, political opponents and critics during both the PNDC and NDC eras.

    Mahama Is Resurrecting The Criminal Libel Law – Osahen
  3. Joy Online

    He served as Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North during the Third Republic and later held ministerial positions in the PNDC era, including Health, Interior, and Chieftaincy and Culture.

    Council of State eulogises Nana Akuoko Sarpong, pledges support for funeral rites
  4. The Ghanaian Times

    Hamid also reflected on his long political history within the NPP, stating that he has sacrificed greatly for the party since 1992 during the era of the former Provisional National Defence Council military government led by former President Jerry John Rawlings.

    “I won’t be derailed” — Mustapha Hamid responds to attacks on his NPP Vice Chair bid
  5. April 2026
  6. Business & Financial Times

    These and other rights violation and the wind of change compelled the PNDC government to grudgingly return Ghana to democratic rule in 1992.

    Development Discourse with Amos Safo: Ghana is descending to the culture of silence
  7. Daily Guide

    He began his service as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1980 at age 27, during a period of political transition in Ghana shortly before the establishment of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime in late 1981.

    Former IGP Paul Quaye Passes On
Politics

Ghana should establish Regional Tribunals despite past abuses

The News

An opinion piece argues that Ghana should establish Regional Tribunals despite past military-era tribunals committing human rights violations, saying proper constitutional safeguards can prevent such abuses. The author contends that historical concerns, while understandable, should not prevent Ghana from using an institution recognised by the Constitution if adequately regulated.

21 August 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 21 August

  1. Ghana should establish Regional Tribunals despite past abuses

    An opinion piece argues that Ghana should establish Regional Tribunals despite past military-era tribunals committing human rights violations, saying proper constitutional safeguards can prevent such abuses. The author contends that historical concerns, while understandable, should not prevent Ghana from using an institution recognised by the Constitution if adequately regulated.

    21 August 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 20 August

  1. Opinion: Public tribunals defended against kangaroo court criticism

    The article argues that public tribunals, contrary to criticism from figures like Afenyo-Markin, delivered justice under the PNDC government by successfully prosecuting and jailing corrupt high-ranking politicians, and defends their establishment against claims of unfairness.

    20 August 2026 · The Chronicle

Saturday 8 August

  1. Specialised tribunals can ease court pressure without harming democracy

    Professor Sharif Mahmud Khalid argues that specialised tribunals, such as tax and employment tribunals, could reduce pressure on Ghana's regular courts and improve justice administration, and should not be automatically associated with threats to democracy based on historical comparisons with authoritarian rule.

    8 August 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 3 August

  1. Minority Leader urges President not to assent Tribunals Bill

    Parliament adjourned sine die with the Minority Caucus calling on President John Dramani Mahama to reject the recently passed Tribunals Bill, which seeks to establish a constitutional and statutory basis for tribunals' operation in Ghana. The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin expressed concern about provisions allowing non-lawyers to serve on tribunal panels, citing memories of alleged excesses during the PNDC era and 1990s human rights abuses.

    3 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Saturday 18 July

  1. Constitutional Review Commission examines court delays and tribunal reform options

    Ghana's Constitution Review Commission (2011) documented widespread frustration over systemic delays in case disposal across courts and tribunals, rejecting quick-fix legislative timeframe amendments in favor of deep institutional reform.

    18 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Tribunal system evolution in Ghana from 1979 onwards

    Joy Online begins a three-part historical series on Ghana's tribunal system, tracing its development from a military apparatus under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (1979) through constitutional reviews that recommended its abolition, to the recent passage of the Tribunals Bill 2026, which promises to replace the defunct Act 459 framework with a transparent, expeditious mechanism for citizen-led justice under democratic oversight.

    18 July 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 17 July

  1. Minority Leader warns tribunals bill risks returning Ghana to PNDC-era justice

    Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has cautioned that the government's proposed Tribunals Bill, 2026—laid before Parliament by Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine on June 26, 2026—risks reviving shortcomings of the PNDC-era justice system, arguing Ghana should instead strengthen its existing courts through reforms.

    17 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Afenyo-Markin warns tribunals bill risks backward-stepping justice

    Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has warned that the government's proposed Tribunals Bill, 2026 risks reviving shortcomings of the PNDC-era justice system, arguing that Ghana should instead strengthen its existing courts through reforms rather than establish new tribunals.

    17 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 16 July

  1. Minority walks out over Tribunals Bill amid fairness concerns

    The Minority in Parliament staged a walkout on July 16 during consideration of the Tribunals Bill, 2026, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin arguing the proposed tribunal system could undermine due process and fair trial guarantees. Opposition to the bill extends beyond Parliament to organised labour and other legal stakeholders, and the Minority drew parallels with Ghana's tribunal system during the PNDC era.

    16 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. NDC founding member appeals for medical and funeral assistance

    Clement Sangaparee, a founding member of the NDC at Obuasi and retired miner, has appealed for financial help to cover medical bills for an enlarged prostate condition. He says previous support from Samuel Aboagye ceased after his death a year ago, leaving him with GHS200 monthly after loan deductions, and has also requested that the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive arrange a befitting NDC funeral for him.

    16 July 2026 · The Chronicle

Tuesday 14 July

  1. Government tribunal bills aim at justice efficiency, not PNDC revival

    Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has defended the government's proposed tribunal bills as aimed at improving the efficiency of Ghana's justice delivery system. He acknowledged concerns about tribunals from the PNDC era but argued that the tribunal system has evolved significantly through legal reforms and judicial decisions.

    14 July 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 13 July

  1. Tribunals Bill 2026 sparks debate on constitutional legitimacy

    Ghana's proposed Tribunals Bill 2026, currently before Parliament, has divided opinion between those who see it as a justice reform to ease court backlogs and those concerned it may resurrect the controversial Public Tribunals of the PNDC era. A judicial perspective argues that any assessment must rest on the constitutional framework rather than historical sentiment alone.

    13 July 2026 · The Chronicle

Friday 10 July

  1. Opinion piece on 1988 vehicle dispute and state injustice

    An opinion article documents the decades-long complaint of a former Kumasi Brewery employee who purchased a vehicle at a government auction in 1988 and has since battled the state over an alleged injustice related to that transaction.

    10 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 9 July

  1. MP warns tribunal revival risks repeating PNDC-era injustices

    Member of Parliament Samuel Abu Jinapor has raised concerns in Parliament about the reintroduction of regional tribunals, warning that their historical use during Ghana's PNDC Military era involved unfair proceedings and injustices to citizens. The Attorney-General laid the Tribunal Bill, 2026 before Parliament to establish a reformed tribunal system aimed at improving justice delivery and reducing case backlogs.

    9 July 2026 · The Chronicle

Wednesday 1 July

  1. GBA calls for judicial independence from political interference

    The Ghana Bar Association's president has called for the Judiciary to be insulated from political interference to deliver justice effectively, and urged the country to formulate clear guidelines for the removal of Superior Court judges, citing concerns about the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

    1 July 2026 · Daily Guide

Tuesday 30 June

  1. Lawyer reflects on legacy of June 30, 1982 judicial murders

    A newly-qualified lawyer writes on the continuing impact of the June 30, 1982 murders of three judges and a retired military officer who were taken from their homes, shot at Bundase Military Range, and their bodies burned, describing the debt their deaths represent to the legal profession and the pursuit of justice.

    30 June 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 23 June

  1. NDC marks Cadres Commemoration Day in Kumasi

    The National Democratic Congress held Cadres Commemoration Day at Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi, with the General Secretary calling on party members to embrace cadreship and champion the party's values with dedication. The event, themed "Ensuring Transparent Governance: Role of Cadres," was organised by Young Cadres in the Ashanti Region to recognise the role of cadres in sustaining the party's revolution and birth.

    23 June 2026 · The Chronicle

Thursday 18 June

  1. NDC to rename headquarters after Rawlings on 79th birthday

    The National Democratic Congress will hold commemorative activities on June 22, 2026, to mark what would have been founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings' 79th birthday, including renaming the party's national headquarters after him and unveiling a bust in his honour at a ceremony led by President John Dramani Mahama.

    18 June 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 12 June

  1. NDC's 2000 power concession exemplified democratic commitment—Majority Leader

    Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has stated that the NDC's decision to concede power after losing the 2000 elections demonstrated its democratic objective and commitment to presidential term limits enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. He affirmed that this act of giving up power sowed the seeds for democracy in Ghana.

    12 June 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 20 May

  1. NDC plans lectures, events for June 4 commemoration

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will hold public lectures and commemorative events nationwide to mark the June 4, 2026 edition of its annual "NDC Month," with the theme "Strengthening State Institutions: Lessons from the June 4, 1979 Uprising." The NDC General Secretary said the commemoration reflects on accountability, discipline, integrity, and social justice in governance.

    20 May 2026 · The Chronicle

Monday 18 May

  1. Mahama government resurrecting criminal libel law through prosecution

    Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has accused President John Dramani Mahama of resurrecting Ghana's abolished criminal libel regime through the prosecution of NPP Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abronye DC), who was arraigned on charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news stemming from a social media video criticising a Circuit Court judge. Afenyo-Markin described the arrest and prosecution as unconstitutional, a threat to free speech and democracy, and "state-sponsored political persecution."

    18 May 2026 · The Chronicle

Thursday 14 May

  1. Council of State eulogises Agogo chief, pledges funeral support

    The Council of State eulogised the late Omanhene of Agogo, Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, as "a pillar" in Ghana's political and traditional leadership and pledged support for his funeral rites scheduled for June 4, 2026, following his 51-year reign.

    14 May 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 11 May

  1. Mustapha Hamid defends NPP vice-chair bid amid criticism

    Former National Petroleum Authority CEO Mustapha Abdul Hamid has responded to attacks since declaring his candidacy for National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, saying the criticism shows he is "the man to beat" and strengthens his resolve to continue his campaign.

    11 May 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Monday 27 April

  1. Ghana risks descending into culture of silence, analyst warns

    Amos Safo argues that Ghana is deviating from democratic rule and faces descent into authoritarianism, citing spate of arrests of opposition supporters and others expressing views on social media. He contends that free speech is being criminalised and Ghana's post-1992 democratic reputation is being dissipated.

    27 April 2026 · Business & Financial Times

Friday 24 April

  1. Former Inspector General of Police Paul Quaye dies

    Paul Tawiah Quaye, former Inspector General of Police who served until his terminal leave in May 2013 under President John Mahama, has passed away. During his tenure, he pursued reforms to enhance operational efficiency within the police force and received recognition in 2011 as the Most Effective and Efficient IGP in West Africa.

    24 April 2026 · Daily Guide

Provisional National Defence Council — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute