Also known as: Justice Sophia Akuffo · Her Ladyship Justice Sophia Akuffo · Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo · Ms. Akuffo · Madam Sophia Akuffo · former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo · Madam Akuffo · Justice Akuffo · Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo · Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo · Sophia A. B. Akuffo · former Chief Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo · former Chief Justice Akuffo · retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo
Retired Chief Justice who resigned from Ghana's Council of State in September 2025 and has called for constitutional safeguards against excessive presidential power.
… At the centre of the case is the resignation of retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, who occupied an ex-officio position on the Council of State under Article 89(2) of the Constitution. …
… Staff have no offices and compete with litigants inside the courtroom, even eating their meals there. “Years ago, former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo came to town and threatened to shut the court down due to its state, yet nothing was done while the population grew,” Siddique Ubei …
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for stronger constitutional safeguards to prevent excessive concentration of power in the hands of the President. …
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for stricter limits on the types of cases that can proceed to the Supreme Court, arguing that unnecessary interlocutory appeals are contributing to delays in Ghana’s justice system. …
… Madam Sophia Akuffo, Distinguished Fellow at the IEA and chairperson of the review, said the indicators in the assessment showed that Ghana had made progress towards macroeconomic stability, particularly in inflation, fiscal performance, interest rates, reserves and public debt. …
… POS Foundation highlighted its own contribution to the reform process, explaining that after consultations with the then Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, it was tasked with coordinating the preparation of the initial draft legislation. …
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. …
… Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, June 20, during a discussion on recent high-profile resignations, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo’s resignation from the Council of State, Ansa-Asare suggested that the political makeup of the advisory body may have contribu …
A private citizen has filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking to compel President Mahama to appoint a former Chief Justice to the Council of State, following the resignation of retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from her ex-officio position. The suit argues that the Constitution requires the President to fill the vacancy and requests the court declare any failure to do so unconstitutional.
A private citizen has filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking to compel President Mahama to appoint a former Chief Justice to the Council of State, following the resignation of retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from her ex-officio position. The suit argues that the Constitution requires the President to fill the vacancy and requests the court declare any failure to do so unconstitutional.
Lawyers and prosecutors in the Upper West Region have expressed strong displeasure over the abandoned construction of a regional High Court complex that has been stalled for approximately 20 years. Despite repeated assurances from national delegations, the contractor has abandoned the three-storey court structure, leaving the region without a purpose-built modern courtroom and forcing legal practitioners to work from deteriorating makeshift buildings.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for stronger constitutional safeguards to prevent excessive concentration of power in the hands of the President, arguing that while presidents must have authority to govern, those powers should be exercised within clearly defined constitutional limits. She said Ghana's democratic system requires more effective checks and balances and that addressing weaknesses in the 1992 Constitution is necessary to build a more sustainable democratic system.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for tighter restrictions on cases proceeding to the Supreme Court, arguing that unnecessary interlocutory appeals on matters still pending in the High Court are adding to the apex court's workload and delaying justice. She advocated that more cases should be resolved at the Court of Appeal level unless they raise new legal issues or significant constitutional matters.
The Institute of Economic Affairs has called on Government to use improved macroeconomic indicators—including 6.4 per cent GDP growth, inflation down to 5.7 per cent, and declining debt—to drive job creation, productivity, and industrialisation through transformational budgeting and growth-enhancing infrastructure.
The POS Foundation has welcomed Parliament's passage of the Community Service Bill, 2026, which will allow courts to impose community service orders instead of custodial sentences for eligible offenders convicted of offences punishable by prison terms of less than three years. The Foundation says the law will reduce prison overcrowding, facilitate offender rehabilitation and reintegration, and strengthen restorative justice.
An opinion piece argues that former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo's resignation from Ghana's Council of State was not publicly disclosed until media reports emerged months later, raising concerns about democratic accountability and whether citizens should be informed when vacancies arise in this constitutional advisory body.
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.
An opinion piece argues that the quiet resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from Ghana's Council of State, announced only months later through media reports, represents a democratic accountability gap: while Council appointments are publicly announced, resignations have been treated as private matters, preventing citizens from knowing whether the constitutional body operates with vacancies or delayed replacements.
Former Director of the Ghana School of Law Kwaku Ansa-Asare has criticised the Council of State's composition as overwhelmingly partisan, arguing that members cannot freely express independent opinions and suggesting this may have contributed to recent high-profile resignations, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo's departure.
Legal academic Kwaku Ansa-Asare has argued that former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo's appointment to the Council of State was constitutionally flawed because it bypassed a more senior and constitutionally appropriate retired Chief Justice. He also criticized the government for delaying the public announcement of Akuffo's resignation until after it leaked to media.
Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission in charge of Corporate Services, has announced his resignation effective July 31, 2026, citing his desire to return to academia at the University of Ghana. His departure comes as another Deputy Chairperson, Samuel Tettey, has also retired, creating two vacancies at the Electoral Commission.
The Minister of State for Government Communications rejected claims that former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo stepped down from the Council of State in protest against the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, stating the government received no such communication and Akuffo's resignation letter contained no reference to Torkornoo's removal.
The government has confirmed that processes are underway to replace former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo on the Council of State following her resignation from the advisory body, which she submitted in September last year without stating her reasons.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has resigned from Ghana's Council of State, having submitted her resignation last year and ceased attending meetings since then. Her resignation follows a period in which she became central to a judicial crisis involving then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, abstaining on a Council vote and later testifying in Torkornoo's defence.
The Office of the Okuapehemaa has cautioned former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo against an announced enstoolment as Mmrahene of Akuapem Traditional Area, citing unresolved legal and customary disputes surrounding the legitimacy of the chief presiding over the ceremony.
The Supreme Court has dismissed an application to halt the High Court trial of Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority, who faces charges of causing financial loss of more than GH¢38 million to the state. The court ruled that the accused's constitutional challenge to a practice direction does not justify suspending the trial.
The Institute of Economic Affairs has called on government to reject Gold Fields Ghana's request to extend its mining lease for the Tarkwa Mine, arguing that Ghana should take strategic control of the asset when the current lease expires in April 2027. The IEA contends that Ghana now has the capacity to manage the mine in its national interest and that renewing the lease would undermine the country's long-term economic and strategic goals.
The Institute of Economic Affairs has called on the government to reject Gold Fields' application for a 20-year lease extension of the Tarkwa Mine, arguing Ghana should reclaim ownership of the asset. The Ghana Chamber of Mines, however, warned that public pressure over the renewal risks damaging legal certainty and Ghana's reputation as a mining investment destination.
The Institute of Economic Affairs has opposed the renewal of Gold Fields' mining lease for Tarkwa, which expires in 2027, arguing that the decision would be harmful to Ghana's long-term interests and calling instead for a framework ensuring greater Ghanaian ownership. Gold Fields has applied for a 20-year extension and notes its Ghana operations account for about 25 per cent of the company's global gold output.
Construction of the Wa Court Complex, begun 26 years ago to relieve overcrowding in Upper West's courts, remains incomplete despite the contractor's claim of 90% completion. Members of Parliament's Judiciary Committee inspected the site and found the work unsatisfactory, vowing to summon the contractor Project Seven Limited to appear before Parliament.
Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice and former President of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, will be installed as Mmrahene of the Akuapem Traditional Area on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, during the Awukudae celebration at the palace of the Okuapehene in Akropong-Akuapem.
The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer, has dismissed assertions that two lawyers from Minka-Premo & Co. were arrested while representing their clients in PDS investigations. He stated that the lawyers had earlier been invited by investigators as suspects and that the PDS investigation is being jointly conducted by EOCO and the BNI, triggered by a petition from the Financial Intelligence Centre.