Attorney General orders Police to halt vehicle seizures for minor traffic violations

Ghanaian

The Attorney General's Office has issued a directive to the Ghana Police Service, ordering an end to the seizure of vehicles for minor traffic violations.

Addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the directive comes in response to mounting public complaints, including concerns raised by legal experts and senior officials, regarding the police's practice of confiscating vehicles under the Road

Read full articleTraffic Regulations 2012 (L.I. 2180).

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, emphasized that the regulation outlines fines or imprisonment as penalties for minor infractions, rendering vehicle impoundment an excessive measure unsupported by Regulations 158 or L.I. 2180.

"The idea that a vehicle must serve as an exhibit in court proceedings is both unjustifiable and irrational," stated Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame.

In his capacity as the government's principal legal advisor, he recommended, "Police officers should refrain from seizing or limiting the use of vehicles for minor offenses, such as alleged violations of road rules in Regulation 106, or infractions like disobeying traffic signals or driving without valid insurance."