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President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the Cabinet has approved the Public Tribunals Bill, signalling a major policy shift aimed at accelerating the prosecution of illegal mining (galamsey) cases nationwide.
The Bill, the President explained, is designed to strengthen Ghana’s fight against illegal mining and reinforce the government’s commitment to protecting the environment from the destructive activities associated with galamsey.
Speaking during a meeting with the Christian Council of Ghana at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, President Mahama said the legislation will empower newly established public tribunals to handle galamsey-related offences. This, he noted, will ease the heavy burden such cases currently place on the traditional court system and help deliver justice more swiftly and efficiently.
“What the Cabinet did was to pass the Public Tribunals Bill so that we will push issues related to illegal mining to the public tribunals. They will adjudicate faster and ensure that justice is seen to be done,” the President said.
He added that once the Bill comes into force, the tribunals will help fast-track the processing of cases involving environmental destruction, enabling authorities to act more decisively against offenders.
According to President Mahama, the measure forms part of a broader government agenda to curb the ongoing degradation of forests, rivers, and vital water bodies caused by illegal mining. By creating a specialized and expedited system for handling these offences, the government hopes to improve deterrence and strengthen environmental protection efforts.
“If this comes into effect, we will be able to process cases against illegal mining even quicker,” he emphasised.
The Bill is expected to be laid before Parliament in the coming weeks.
