Edward Kwame Wiredu
Encyclopedia
Edward Kwame Wiredu was the Chief Justice
of Ghana
between 2001 and 2003. He was the tenth since Ghana became an independent nation. He is noted for introducing the Fast Track Courts in Ghana as well as Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Judicial Institute.
at Cape Coast
in the Central Region
of Ghana. He then went on to the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, which is now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST).
although Rawlings himself had pleaded guilty during his trial. In 1980, he was elevated to be an Appeal Court Judge. He became a Supreme Court Judge in 1990. He was appointed Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic by John Kufuor
at the beginning of his presidency on 9 November 2001. He is considered by some to be a strong advocate for the independence of the Judiciary. He retired as Chief Justice in May 2003 for health reasons.
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
between 2001 and 2003. He was the tenth since Ghana became an independent nation. He is noted for introducing the Fast Track Courts in Ghana as well as Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Judicial Institute.
Early life
Edward Wiredu was educated at the Accra Academy in Accra and the Adisadel CollegeAdisadel College
Adisadel College is an Anglican school for boys in Cape Coast, Ghana, modelled on the English public school.-History:Adisadel was established in 1910 in a building at Topp Yard, near Christ Church and Cape Coast Castle...
at Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
in the Central Region
Central Region (Ghana)
The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
of Ghana. He then went on to the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, which is now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is a university located in Kumasi, Ghana.It is the second public university established in the country. The University has its roots in the plans of the Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I to establish a university in Kumasi as part of his drive...
(KNUST).
Career
Wiredu was called to the British bar in 1960. He went on to serve on the Bench for a total of 34 years after having been in private practice. He was appointed a High Court Judge in 1969. After the abortive coup of 15 May 1979, he was noted to have entered a plea of not guilty for Jerry RawlingsJerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
although Rawlings himself had pleaded guilty during his trial. In 1980, he was elevated to be an Appeal Court Judge. He became a Supreme Court Judge in 1990. He was appointed Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic by John Kufuor
John Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was the second president of the 4th Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union...
at the beginning of his presidency on 9 November 2001. He is considered by some to be a strong advocate for the independence of the Judiciary. He retired as Chief Justice in May 2003 for health reasons.
See also
- Judiciary of GhanaJudiciary of GhanaThe Judiciary of Ghana comprises the Superior Courts of Judicature, established under the 1992 Constitution, and the Inferior Courts, established by Parliament. The hierarchy of courts derives largely from British juridical forms...
- Supreme Court of GhanaSupreme Court of GhanaThe Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive arms of government.-History:...