Sophia Akuffo For nine months, Ghana’s Council of State — the constitutional body established under Article 89 of the 1992 Constitution to function as the nation’s “Council of Elders” — has operated without one of its most distinguished members. …
… He explained that the framers of the 1992 Constitution deliberately insulated chieftaincy matters from political interference by restricting government’s role in such disputes. …
… The 1992 Constitution guarantees, under Article 12(2), the fundamental human rights and freedoms of every individual, including persons with disability. …
… Constitutional and Democratic Foundations of Free Speech The contemporary trajectory of free speech development in Ghana is firmly rooted in the 1992 Constitution. …
… According to the court, the OSP does not have the power to initiate the prosecution of criminal offences without the express authorisation of the Attorney General, who is mandated by Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution to initiate criminal cases in the name of the Republic. …
… The 1992 Constitution guarantees, under Article 12(2), the fundamental human rights and freedoms of every individual, including persons with disability. …
… , which has attracted considerable public attention from governance experts, legal practitioners, anti-corruption advocates and development partners, centres on arguments that certain provisions underpinning the establishment of the OSP are inconsistent with the 1992 Constitution …
… According to them, the system creates a privileged class of voters, disenfranchises ordinary members in good standing and undermines the democratic principles of equality and participation enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. …
… Core of the challenge The suit, filed under Supreme Court case number J1/3/2026, argues that the 1992 Constitution vests prosecutorial authority exclusively in the Attorney-General under Articles 88(3) and 88(4). …
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo resigned from Ghana's Council of State in September 2025, but President Mahama did not confirm acceptance until June 2026, raising constitutional questions about the delay. Her resignation followed an August 2025 Council vote on removing Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, in which Akuffo abstained as the sole dissenting voice.
Why it matters
Constitutional delay in confirming former Chief Justice Akuffo's Council of State resignation after nine months raises governance accountability questions.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo resigned from Ghana's Council of State in September 2025, but President Mahama did not confirm acceptance until June 2026, raising constitutional questions about the delay. Her resignation followed an August 2025 Council vote on removing Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, in which Akuffo abstained as the sole dissenting voice.
President John Dramani Mahama has urged the chieftaincy institution to lead in resolving growing chieftaincy disputes across Ghana, stating that government is constitutionally barred from determining succession matters, though government can intervene to maintain law and order when disputes become violent. Mahama told the Bono Regional House of Chiefs that the responsibility for adjudicating chieftaincy cases rests with traditional authorities through their judicial committees.
On the twentieth anniversary of Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006, an article reflects on how persons with disability continue to face daily barriers in accessing basic services and navigating public spaces designed without their needs in mind.
Ghana has developed one of Africa's most open communication environments since the 1992 Constitution, with citizens and journalists engaging freely on governance and public issues. However, new challenges including political polarization, misinformation, online harassment, digital surveillance, hate speech, economic pressures on journalism, and legal contestation of public expression have emerged in the digital age.
A High Court in Accra dismissed the Office of the Special Prosecutor's application to halt execution of a court order requiring the Attorney General to take over cases prosecuted by the OSP, finding the OSP lacks power to prosecute without AG authorization. The OSP plans to appeal at the Court of Appeal and has already filed legal challenges at higher courts.
The Accra High Court has declined the Office of the Special Prosecutor's (OSP) application to suspend enforcement of a ruling that halted its independent prosecution of criminal cases, directing instead that all criminal matters be referred to the Attorney-General's Department. The OSP plans to renew its stay application at the Court of Appeal and has filed substantive legal challenges at both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
Twenty years after Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 715), persons with disability still face significant barriers in accessing basic services and public spaces such as transport, banks, hospitals, and government offices. The article argues that disability is not a minority issue but a human rights concern requiring genuine implementation of existing protections.
Fourteen civil society organisations have submitted a joint defence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to the Supreme Court ahead of a July 29, 2026 verdict in Adamtey v. Attorney-General, a case questioning the constitutional validity of the anti-corruption institution's establishment.
Ghana's Supreme Court has scheduled judgment for July 29, 2026, in a case challenging the delegate-based electoral system used by political parties to elect leaders and presidential candidates. The plaintiffs, including former environment minister Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, argue the system restricts voting rights to a small group of party executives and delegates, disenfranchising the majority of party members.
The Supreme Court will deliver a judgment on July 29, 2026, in a constitutional case brought by lawyer Noah Ephraem Tetteh Adamtey, challenging whether Parliament lawfully granted the Office of the Special Prosecutor independent investigative and prosecutorial powers, arguing the 1992 Constitution vests prosecutorial authority exclusively in the Attorney-General.
The 1992 Constitution's Article 296 requires that public officials exercise power with reason, fairness, and accountability rather than arbitrary decision-making, though this protection remains underused in Ghanaian governance.
The President of the National Union of Ghana Students has warned of sustained student-led action if government renews Gold Fields' mining lease at Tarkwa, arguing that national resources should prioritize local participation and that Ghana has capable local investors who could benefit from the sector.
Speaker Bagbin has clarified that national security agencies do not need his permission to arrest or question Members of Parliament for criminal matters, but must notify him of any such action so Parliament can assess whether parliamentary privilege applies to the specific situation.
An editorial in The Chronicle argues that children in Western North Region communities must cross the swollen River Bia by canoe to access education, risking their lives during rainy season flooding when water levels reach chest or chin height and single crossings take over fifteen minutes; the paper calls this a national emergency exposing inequality between urban and rural Ghana.
The High Court in Accra has adjourned the Office of the Special Prosecutor's application for a stay of execution of an earlier ruling that found the OSP lacks independent prosecutorial authority. The hearing has been rescheduled for 8 June 2026 after the respondent's legal team was unable to attend the originally scheduled hearing.
Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers has filed suit in the Supreme Court seeking to invalidate provisions of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 and the Electronic Communications Act, 2008, arguing they unconstitutionally restrict freedom of speech and the press. He challenges Section 208(1), which criminalises publications likely to cause fear and alarm, and Section 208(2), which places the burden on the accused to prove accuracy of statements.
The NPP's National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye has questioned a ruling from Circuit Court 9 involving the Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, alleging the judgment appeared inconsistent with constitutional principles of equality before the law and suggesting possible undue influence in the judicial process.
Private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has renewed calls for the repeal of Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, which criminalizes the publication of false news likely to cause fear and alarm, arguing it is a colonial-era relic that has become a tool for suppressing free expression and dissent in Ghana. According to him, the provision has been misused at least 16 times within the last 18 months alone, and despite public education efforts, he contends that repeal is the only remedy.
Ghana's broadcasting sector has transformed from a state-dominated system into one of West Africa's most diverse and competitive media landscapes through liberalisation and regulatory reform, according to the GIBA President. The 1992 Constitution guaranteed media freedom and enabled private participation, while the establishment of the National Communications Authority in 1996 provided the regulatory framework for private radio and television stations.
Lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini argues that Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, which criminalises publication of false news likely to cause fear and alarm, is a colonial-era provision that has become the most abused speech-related law in Ghana, with 16 cases of misuse in the last 18 months alone, and calls for its complete repeal.
The opposition NPP has condemned the arrest and remand of its Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abronye), with Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei arguing the detention violates constitutional protections and constitutes the criminalisation of dissent rather than legitimate prosecution.
The National House of Chiefs has rejected Constitutional Review Committee recommendations to merge the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands with the Lands Commission, arguing the OASL should remain independent to protect stool land revenues and support traditional authorities in land administration.
Dr. Victor Abbey, a Strategic Thinking and Leadership Expert, has called for the National Development Planning Commission to be elevated into a full authority with stronger legal backing to drive Ghana's long-term national development agenda beyond partisan political interests. Abbey argued that Ghana's development efforts have suffered because successive governments subordinated national planning to short-term political and electoral considerations.
Governance expert Dr Frederick Oduro has warned against using state institutions to intimidate or victimise citizens over their opinions, emphasising that the rule of law and constitutional rights must be respected regardless of political differences. He noted growing politicisation of governance in Ghana, where partisan interests increasingly influence how institutions are used.
Ghana's Parliamentary Select Committee on Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs visited Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to seek advice on addressing rising chieftaincy disputes across the country. The Committee emphasized the need to prevent partisan politics from interfering in chieftaincy matters and discussed redirecting state resources from security interventions toward strengthening dispute resolution capacity.
The African Women Lawyers Association has renewed calls for Parliament to reform Ghana's spousal property laws, stating that decades of legislative inaction have created uncertainty and injustice for families. According to AWLA, the absence of a clear legal framework has forced courts to determine property distribution disputes case-by-case, resulting in inconsistent judicial decisions where some spouses receive less than deserved or nothing at all.
A detailed legal examination considers whether Ghana's Rent Control Department has authority to regulate hostel prices within and around universities, analysing the Rent Act 1963 Act 220 and its applicability to both private student hostels and university-owned accommodation.
H. Aku Kwapong, PhD, argues that Ghana's development problem stems not from a lack of ideas but from institutional structures that separate planning from execution and resources, and that the country has a habit of partial institutional imitation rather than complete systems learning.
A recent High Court decision suggesting the Office of the Special Prosecutor requires fresh Attorney-General authorization for each prosecution has sparked legal debate. The article argues that the AG's authorization under the 1992 Constitution has already been granted through law and does not need case-by-case renewal.