Supreme Court of Ghana

supreme court
Inception	1876
Country	Ghana
Coordinate location	5°32′44″N 0°12′17″W

Supreme Court of Ghana an kɔɔt kanɛ gat kɔɔtʋnam banɛ bɛ Ghana wʋsa.^[1] Ghana yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ piswai nɛ ayi wada gbanʋŋ la (Ghana's 1992 constitution) tis suor nɛ paŋ ye Judiciary sʋ’oe di mɛŋ ka zi’e di kɔn’ nɛ Legislative nɛ Executive gɔmena lʋga la.^[2]

Labakʋda (Din pin’il si’em)

Supreme Court da pin’ilnɛ dɔlisid Supreme Court Ordinance (1876) ye di an kɔɔtʋ kanɛ gat kɔɔtʋ wʋsa Gold Coast (dinɛ yʋ’ʋn an Ghana) sankanɛ ka Ghana da nam pʋ sʋ'oe o mɛŋa.^[3] Dinɛ gɔsid kɔɔtʋ banɛ bɛ Ghana wʋsa. Di ɔfis tita’ar (Headquarters) bɛnɛ Accra. Appeals banɛ yi Supreme Court of the Gold Coast da kennɛ West African Court of Appeal (WACA) dinɛ da pin’il yʋʋm tusir, kɔbisnii nɛ pisyuobʋ nɛ yuobʋ la ni (1866). Ghana da fuoe o mɛŋi yi WACA ban da paami asʋ’o-m-mɛŋ la nya’aŋka kʋ’ʋg Appeals kanɛ da ken Judicial Committee of the Privy Council London la yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyuobʋ la ni (1960). Military coup d'état kanɛ da naam yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyuobʋ nɛ yuobʋ nwadisa ayi dabpisi nɛ anaasi daar la (February 24, 1966), nya’aŋ ka National Liberation Council (NLC), dɔlisid kɔɔtʋ wada, yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyuobʋ nɛ ayuobʋ la ni (1966) (NLCD.84) ye ba yis Supreme Court ka yʋ’ʋn nɔk paŋi niŋ kɔɔtʋnam ayi ni: Superior Court of Judicature nɛ inferior courts. yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyuobʋ nɛ awai wada gbaʋŋ la Article 102(4) da lɛbig nɛ’ɛŋa ka maal second republic. Coup kanɛ da naam yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyɔpɔi nɛ ayi yʋʋmpaal nwadig dabpiinɛ atan la ni (January 13, 1972), National Redemption Council da lɛn yis Supreme Court ka ye 1969 constitution pʋ lɛn tʋm ya’asa dinzug kɔɔtʋ pʋ lɛm mɔr tʋʋma ya’asi na lɛbigi dii. Ba da tiaki nɔki di tʋʋma la tis Court of Appeal. Yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ paisYʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyɔpɔi nɛ awai wada gbaʋŋ la (1979 constitution) third republic da pin’il yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisyɔpɔi nɛ awai nwadisa awai dabpisi nɛ anaasi daar la (September 24, 1979). Supreme Court da kpɛlimi di zi’esimin yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ piswnii nɛ yinne nwadis piinɛ ayi la dabpistan’ nɛ yinne (December 31, 1981) coup kanɛ ka Provisional National Defence Council, baa ban da tiak kɔɔtʋ la ka mɔr public tribunals na la.

Yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ atan’ nwadisa ayɔpɔi la daba ayi daar (July 2, 2013), Supreme Court da kpɛn’ɛs editor-in-chief tis Daily Searchlight newspaper, Ken Kuranchie, sanrega dabpiiga (10 days) on da buol Piyamnama awai la ye ba anɛ zam dim nɛ barigaŋ dim la.^[4] Parliament of Ghana da yis wada zaŋi keŋ wee kuob teŋin la yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ pisi nɛ ayi la (2022), Apex Court da yis wada kad cannabis kuob yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ pisi nɛ atan nwadisa anu la ni (May 2023) dɔlisid vɔɔtkanɛ ka ba da maal ka paam 5-4 la.^[5]^[6]

Zi’esim nananna

Yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ piswai nɛ ayi wada gbaʋŋ la (1992 constitution) pa’al ye Supreme Court mɔrnɛ Chief Justice of Ghana nɛ piyamnam banɛ ka ba kanl gaadi awai paasi an Piyamnami tis Supreme Court.^[7] Dinɛ an kɔɔtʋ kanɛ mɔr kpi’eŋʋ gaad kɔɔtʋ wʋsa ka lɛn gɔsid ka pa’ani wada gbaʋŋ la gbinni an si’em. Ghana Zuraani nwɛ’ɛd Council of State suora ka gaŋid Chief Justice ka Parliament siakid ka basid suor ka ba tʋmmid.^[8] Supreme Court Piyambanɛ kpɛlim Zuraani ɛɛnti nwɛ’ Judicial Council suora nɛ Council of State ka gaansi ba. Asɛɛ ka Parliament tisi ba suor ka ba naan tʋm.^[9] Yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ piswai nɛ ayi wada gbaʋŋ la (1992 Constitution) da kpiis public tribunals banɛ ka ba da maal PNDC saŋa la ka maal Regional Tribunal ka ba kʋkdaan zi’esim nwɛnɛ High Court Piyamnam.^[10] Piyamnam bi’ela ka ba ɛɛnti gaansi kpɛn’ɛs Supreme Court. Nidib ɛɛnti mɔɔd ye ba bɔ kanli tis piayamnam la amaa piyam sieba zan’asi di dɔlisid 1992 constitution la bɔɔd si’em.^[11] Court of Appeal, dinɛ mɔr chief justice nɛ piyamnam nwɛnɛ anu la, kɛlisid ka pa’an nimbaanlzɔɔr nɛ saria kadib kanɛ ka kɔɔtʋ si’a maal, High Court of Justice order.^[12] High Court of Justice, dinɛ mɔr chief justice ka mɔr piyamnam nwɛnɛ piinɛ ayi la gɔsid yɛla wʋsa nidib bɛllim nɛ bibi’elim.

Onɛ an Chief Justice tis Supreme Court of Ghana nananna anɛ Her ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

Supreme Court Piyamnam

Supreme Court piyamnami dɔl gbinin nwa.^[13]^[14] Yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ anii nwadisa ayɔpɔi la ni (July 2018), Zuraan Nana Akufo-Addo da gaŋ Piyamnama anaasi paas Supreme Court. Ba anɛ Samuel K. Marful-Sau nɛ Agnes M.A Dordzie, ba wʋsa anɛ Appeal Court piyamnam, Nii Ashie Kotey, Dean of the Faculty of Law kʋdʋg tis University of Ghana nɛ Nene A. O. Amegatcher, onɛ an lɔya tʋmmi asʋ’o-m-mɛŋ ni ka da an Ghana Bar Association Zuraan kʋdʋg.^[15] Onɛ an piyamkanɛ kʋdʋg hali bɛ Court, William Atuguba da naae o tʋʋma yʋʋmkan ni. Jerry Rawlings da gaŋ o yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ piswai nɛ anu nwadis piinɛ yinne la ni (November 1995)^[16]^[17] kpɛn’ɛs Supreme Court ban da gaŋi o yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ anii nwadisa ayɔpɔi la ni (July 2018).^[18] Onɛ da an pʋ’akanɛ an nya’aŋ Chief Justice la da anɛ Sophia Akuffo. Onɛ da an onɛ Supreme Court Piyam ka Jerry Rawlings yuolim gaŋ ka o tʋʋma naae. O tʋʋma da naaenɛ yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ awai nwadis piinɛ ayi la dabpisi daar (20 December 2019) ka Kwasi Anin-Yeboah da di’e o zi’esim yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ pisi yʋʋmpaal nwadig da daba ayɔpɔi la daar (7 January 2020). Yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ awai la nwadis piinɛ ayi la (December 2019), la ni Zuraaan Akufo-Addo gaŋ Piyam paala atan paas Supreme Court. Ba da anɛ Mariama Owusu, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, nɛ Gertrude Tokornoo.^[19] Ba da nyɔdignɛ Vida Akoto-Bamfo, Sophia Adinyira, nɛ Sophia Akuffo banɛ tʋʋma da naae ba saŋa paae la zug.^[20]

Supreme Court of Ghana Piyamnam^[21]
Piyam	Gaŋir dabisir	O tʋʋma yuugir bɛn	Onɛ gaŋ o
Gertrude Torkornoo (Chief Justice)	17 December 2019^[19]	3 years, 8 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Paul Baffoe-Bonnie	11 June 2008^[22]	15 years, 3 months	John Kufuor
Gabriel Pwamang	29 June 2015^[23]	8 years, 2 months	John Mahama
Mariama Owusu	17 December 2019^[19]	5 years, 2 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Avril Lovelace-Johnson	17 December 2019^[19]	3 years, 8 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu	22 May 2020^[24]^[25]	3 years, 3 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu	26 May 2020^[26]	3 years, 3 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Yonny Kulendi	26 May 2020^[26]	3 years, 3 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Barbara Ackah-Yensu	28 December 2022^[27]	8 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Samuel Adibu Asiedu	28 December 2022^[27]	8 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
George Kingsley Koomson	5 April 2023	5 months	Nana Akufo-Addo
Ernest Gaewu	5 April 2023	5 months	Nana Akufo-Addo

Supreme Court Chief Justice nam

Din pin’il yʋʋm tusir, kɔbisnii nɛ pisyɔpɔi nɛ yuobʋ (1876) la ni, Supreme Court mɔrnɛ Chief Justice nam pisi nɛ ayɔpɔi (27 Chief Justices)^[28]

List of chief justices of the Gold Coast and Ghana
Chief Justice	Saŋa	Period
Sir David Patrick Chalmers	1876–1878	Gold Coast
P. A. Smith	1878–1879	Gold Coast
Sir James Marshall	1880–1882	Gold Coast
N. Lessingham Bailey	1882–1886	Gold Coast
H. W. Macleod	1886–1889	Gold Coast
Joseph Turner Hutchinson^[29]	1889 - 1894	Gold Coast
Francis Smith (acting)	1894 - 1895	Gold Coast
Sir William Brandford Griffith	1895–1911	Gold Coast
Philip Crampton Smyly	1911–1928	Gold Coast
Sir George Campbell Deane	1929–1935	Gold Coast
Sir Philip Bertie Petrides	1936–1943	Gold Coast
Sir Walter Harrangin	1943–1947	Gold Coast
Sir Mark Wilson	1948–1956	Gold Coast
Sir Kobina Arku Korsah	1956–1963	Gold Coast (1956 – 6 Mar 1957) Ghana – 1st Republic (6 Mar 1957 – 1963)
J. Sarkodee-Addo	1964–1966	1st Republic
Edward Akufo-Addo	1966–1970	military rule^[30] (1966–1969) 2nd Republic (1969–1970)
Edmund Alexander Lanquaye Bannerman	1970 -1972	2nd Republic^[31]
Samuel Azu Crabbe	1973–1977	military rule^[32]
Fred Kwasi Apaloo	1977–1986	military rule (1977–1979) 3rd Republic (24 Sep 1979-31 Dec 1981)^[33] military rule (31 Dec 1981–1986)
E. N. P. Sowah	1986–1990	military rule
Nicholas Yaw Boafo Adade (acting)	1990–1991	military rule
Philip Edward Archer	1991–1995	military rule (1991–1993) 4th Republic (1993–1995)
Isaac Kobina Abban	1995 – 21 April 2001	4th Republic
Edward Kwame Wiredu	2001–2003	4th Republic
George Kingsley Acquah	4 July 2003 – 25 March 2007	4th Republic
Georgina Theodora Wood	^[34]15 June 2007 – 8 June 2017	4th Republic
Sophia Akuffo	19 June 2017 – 20 December 2019	4th Republic
Kwasi Anin-Yeboah	7 January 2020^[35] – 24 May 2023	4th Republic
Gertrude Torkornoo	6 June 2023 –	4th Republic

Martyrs of the Rule of Law

Yʋʋm tusir, kɔbiswai nɛ pisnii nɛ ayi nwadisa ayuobʋ la dabpistan daar (30 June 1982), din da an curfew saŋa la, High Court Judges titada atan nɛ Army Officer, ka ba yʋda an: Mr. Justice Frederick Poku Sarkodee, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Afran Koranteng-Addow, Mr. Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong nɛ Major (Rtd) Sam Acquah ka ba da gban’e b aba yaan ka kʋʋ ba Bundase Military Range bɛ Accra Plains la.^[36]^[37] Ba da nɔki ba niŋgbina niŋ gasoline ni ka nyʋ’oe ba nɛ bugum. Wina’am da sʋŋ ka saa kena kpiis bugum la ka ba niŋgbina pʋ kanbɛ.

Piyam bama da pɛsigi ba vʋm tʋm Rule of Law nɛ fair administration of justice.^[36]

Ghanaian judicial system zu’odi ba yʋʋm wʋsa Martyrs Day, daakanɛ tiendi b akum la yɛla.^[36]

Daamʋg

Zuraan kʋdʋg John Dramani Mahama da zɛrig Registrar of the Supreme Court yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ pisi nɛ ayi nwadisa awai la ni (September 2022) nɛ ban pʋ gban’e dabisir ye ba wʋm antua kanɛ ka ba bɔɔd ye ba kɛ ka Electoral Commission gu’oe tʋʋmkanɛ ka ba tʋm la (interlocutory injunction).^[38]^[39]

Gbanvɛɛnsa

[1] ttps://archive.is/20130112080043/http://www.acclawyers.org/resources/ghana/

[2] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Ghana#cite_note-Art125-2

[3] ttps://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5818.2014.12045.x

[4] ttps://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201307/167860.php

[5] ttps://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9533166/ghana-supreme-court-strikes-out-cannabis-cultivation-bill/

[6] ttps://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Supreme-Court-erred-in-its-decision-to-cancel-wee-law-NPP-MP-1802027

[7] ttp://www.ghanareview.com/parlia/Gconst11.html

[8] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Ghana#cite_note-8

[9] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Ghana#cite_note-9

[10] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071006085846/http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/after_indp/page_3.htm

[11] ttps://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/don-t-cap-supreme-court-judges-chief-justice-spohia-akuffo-proposes.html

[12] ttps://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/republic/supreme_court.php

[13] ttp://www.judicial.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=35

[14] ttp://www.ghanadistricts.com/home/?_=42&sa=3640&ssa=260&PHPSESSID=4bd2cccf47f78c4d1705988ea58acd87

[15] ttps://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-appoints-4-new-Supreme-Court-Justices-665443

[16] ttp://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Atuguba-was-an-NPP-parliamentary-candidate-in-1992-Gabby-reveals-285043

[17] ttp://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=3912

[18] ttps://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Justice-William-Atuguba-retires-after-44-years-as-a-judge-665478

[:0-19] 19.0 ^19.1 ^19.2 ^19.3 https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-swears-in-46-judges-818155

[20] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20191116195644/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Nana-Addo-nominates-three-new-judges-to-Supreme-Court-798617

[21] ttps://www.judicial.gov.gh/index.php/supreme-court-judges

[22] ttp://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=145184

[23] ttp://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Mahama-swears-in-two-Supreme-Court-Judges-365331

[24] ttps://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Amadu-Tanko-sworn-in-as-first-Muslim-Supreme-Court-Justice-959911

[25] ttps://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/president-swears-in-2-justices-of-supreme-court.html

[:1-26] 26.0 ^26.1 https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-ll-serve-Ghana-New-SC-judge-Mensah-Bonsu-962521

[:2-27] 27.0 ^27.1 https://www.businessghana.com/

[28] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080622122515/http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/list%20of%20judicial%20officials/list%20of%20CJ.htm

[29] ttps://books.google.com/books?id=6F83BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA611

[30] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071006085839/http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/after_indp/home.htm

[31] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071006085810/http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/after_indp/page_2.htm

[32] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070213072210/http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/summary/home.htm

[33] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Ghana#cite_note-33

[34] ttp://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=125662

[35] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20191224105655/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Parliament-okays-Justice-Anin-Yeboah-as-Chief-Justice-822625

[:3-36] 36.0 ^36.1 ^36.2 https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=220215

[37] ttps://www.adomonline.com/today-in-history-personalities-behind-three-statues-in-front-of-ghanas-supreme-court/

[38] ttps://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/mahama-criticises-supreme-court-over-failure-to-set-hearing-date.html

[39] ttps://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/mahamas-criticism-of-the-judiciary-is-setting-a-dangerous-precedent-gary-nimako/591ny9s

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