Tema: The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called on the government to allocate adequate financial and logistical resources to operationalise mental health tribunals and visiting committees. Dr Joseph Whittal, Commissioner of CHRAJ, made the call in a press statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Tema Office, noting that the move was essential for the protection of persons with mental health conditions from cruel and degrading treatment in prayer camps and psychiatric facilities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the appeal comes ahead of the commemoration of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed annually on June 26, in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution 52/149 adopted in 1997. The day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) in 1987. The day is an occasion to call on governments, civil society, and individuals to unite in support of victims and survivors of torture and to recommit to the prevention of torture everywhere.
Dr Whittal stated that despite the enactment of Ghana's Mental Health Act in 2012, which prohibits the inhumane treatment of individuals with mental health conditions, reports indicated that the practice of chaining persists in various prayer camps across the country. He added that individuals with psychosocial disabilities were also chained or confined in small cages in multiple facilities, often enduring these conditions for extended periods.
Dr Whittal explained that these practices persist in large parts of the country due to the lack of functional visiting committees and mental health tribunals as required by the Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846), a situation largely attributed to inadequate funding and institutional support. He appealed to the government to expedite the amendment of the Commission's enabling Act (Act 456) to provide for the establishment, composition, and functioning of a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in line with the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT), which Ghana ratified in 2006.
He further called on the government of Ghana to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. The Commissioner added that this step aligns with Ghana's commitment made during its fourth cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR), saying that the death sentence, which was regarded as one of the worst forms of mental torture inflicted on convicts, should not be allowed to continue to form part of the criminal justice system.
He said the Commission remained concerned about the continued existence of practices that violated the rights of individuals, particularly those in detention and persons with mental health conditions, saying that the country's detention facilities continue to face significant overcrowding, with the total prison population reaching 14,206 in May 2025, reflecting an overcrowding rate of 38.39 per cent. He noted that inmates were subjected to harsh and inhumane conditions, including poor ventilation, inadequate toilet facilities, substandard nutrition and insufficient medical care, mentioning that these conditions undermined their right to health, dignity, and humane treatment.
He added that the persistent cases of military and police brutality, including excessive use of force during protests and demonstrations in response to perceived security threats against civilians, were equally troubling and needed to be urgently addressed. According to the CHRAJ Commissioner, these acts breached the principles of proportionality and accountability in law enforcement, as many of these incidents remain under-investigated, and thus undermine public confidence in law enforcement and the justice system.
Dr Whittal said although the Commission acknowledges efforts by government and other stakeholders to improve conditions and uphold human rights within the justice and correctional systems, there were significant gaps that needed to be addressed.
