Fred Kwasi Apaloo
Encyclopedia
Frederick Kwasi Apaloo was a Ghanaian barrister
who has served as Chief Justice
of both Ghana
and later Kenya
.
in the Volta Region
of Ghana, then the Gold Coast
. He lost his father when he was 7 years old so an uncle who was a Kadjebi
merchant cared for him through school. His secondary education was at Accra Academy in Accra
which he completed in 1942. He subsequently read law at the University College, Hull
in 1950 by the Middle Temple
. He later returned to practise law in Ghana. He defended those involved in the Anloga
riots following widespread protests against the imposition of taxes by the British
colonial administration. After Ghana attained its independence from British colonial rule, he was appointed a High Court Judge in 1960. In 1964, he presided over the treason trials of five persons including three close associates of President Kwame Nkrumah
. They were Tawia Adamafio
, information minister, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
, foreign minister and Hugh Horatio Cofie Crabbe, secretary of the ruling Convention People's Party
. One of the other judges was Edward Akufo-Addo
who also later became Chief Justice in 1966 and ceremonial President of Ghana
in 1970. The acquittal led to the then president, Nkrumah trying to purge the judiciary. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1966 and to the Supreme Court of Ghana
in 1971.
in 1977. He was the sixth person to hold this position since Ghana became an independent nation. This was during the era of the military Supreme Military Council of Ghana. On resumption of democratic rule under Hilla Limann
in September 1979, the People's National Party
government attempted to replace him as incumbent Chief Justice by insisting he be vetted for the office he already occupied. A Ghanaian citizen, Amoako Tuffuor, took the issue to the Supreme Court and the presiding judge, Justice E. N. P. Sowah
, who interestingly succeeded him on his (Apaloo's) retirement, ruled that Apaloo became Chief Justice in the Third Republic as soon as the 1979 Ghanaian constitution came into force. He served through the third republic of Ghana and continued after the overthrow of the Limann government
on 31 December 1981. Due to his independence, the new military government, the Provisional National Defence Council
led by Jerry Rawlings
also tried to remove him as Nkrumah had tried before but failed in 1983. He retired at the age of 65 years in 1986.
in March 1993. He was noted to be against the death penalty while he was in Kenya. He remained Chief Justice until 1995 when he was succeeded by Abdul Majid Cockar.
in 1986. He also served on the World Bank Administrative Tribunal from 1990 till 1995.
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Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
who has served as Chief Justice
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 both 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...
and later Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Early life
Apaloo was born at Woe, a village near KetaKeta
Keta is a city in Volta Region, Ghana. It was an important trading post between the 14th and late 20th century via a port and fort built by the Dutch in 1784. Parts of the city were devastated by sea erosion between the 1960s and 1980s....
in the Volta Region
Volta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
of Ghana, then the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
. He lost his father when he was 7 years old so an uncle who was a Kadjebi
Kadjebi
Kadjebi is the capital of the Kadjebi District in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is in the northern part of the Volta Region and not far from the Ghana - Togo international border.-External links and sources:*...
merchant cared for him through school. His secondary education was at Accra Academy in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
which he completed in 1942. He subsequently read law at the University College, Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
Judicial career
Apaloo was called to the English barBarristers in England and Wales
Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. -Origin of the profession:The work of senior legal professionals in England and Wales...
in 1950 by the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He later returned to practise law in Ghana. He defended those involved in the Anloga
Anloga
Anloga is a town in Keta District of the Volta Region in southeast Ghana, West Africa. It lies east of the Volta River and just south of the Keta Lagoon.-History:...
riots following widespread protests against the imposition of taxes by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial administration. After Ghana attained its independence from British colonial rule, he was appointed a High Court Judge in 1960. In 1964, he presided over the treason trials of five persons including three close associates of President Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
. They were Tawia Adamafio
Tawia Adamafio
Tawia Adamafio was a Ghanaian minister in the Nkrumah government during the first republic of Ghana.-Politics:Adamafio was a member of the Convention People's Party and rose to become its General Secretary. In 1960, he was appointed the Information and Broadcasting Minister by Nkrumah. He was also...
, information minister, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
Dr. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei was a nationalist politician from Ghana. Ako-Adjei is considered to be one of the Big Six in the history of Ghanaian independence. The Big Six are arguably some of the most famous people in Ghana's fight for independence from British rule...
, foreign minister and Hugh Horatio Cofie Crabbe, secretary of the ruling Convention People's Party
Convention People's Party
The Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
. One of the other judges was Edward Akufo-Addo
Edward Akufo-Addo
Edward Akufo-Addo was a politician and lawyer in Ghana. He was one of the Big Six in the fight for Ghana's independence. He also became the Chief Justice and later President of the Republic of Ghana.-Education:...
who also later became Chief Justice in 1966 and ceremonial President of Ghana
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
in 1970. The acquittal led to the then president, Nkrumah trying to purge the judiciary. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1966 and to the Supreme Court of Ghana
Supreme Court of Ghana
The 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:...
in 1971.
Chief Justice of Ghana
He was appointed Ghana's Chief JusticeChief Justice of Ghana
The Chief Justice of Ghana is the highest judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The Chief Justice is also the head of the Judiciary of Ghana and is responsible for its administration and supervision...
in 1977. He was the sixth person to hold this position since Ghana became an independent nation. This was during the era of the military Supreme Military Council of Ghana. On resumption of democratic rule under Hilla Limann
Hilla Limann
Hilla Limann was the President of Ghana from 24 September, 1979 to 31 December, 1981. Eventually he became a diplomat, and served in Switzerland. Limann, whose original last name was Babini, was born in the northern Ghanaian town of Gwolu in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region to a...
in September 1979, the People's National Party
People's National Party (Ghana)
The People's National Party was the ruling party in Ghana during the Third Republic .All political parties in Ghana were disbanded following the January 1972 military coup led by Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. When political activities resumed in 1979, there were five parties contesting the...
government attempted to replace him as incumbent Chief Justice by insisting he be vetted for the office he already occupied. A Ghanaian citizen, Amoako Tuffuor, took the issue to the Supreme Court and the presiding judge, Justice E. N. P. Sowah
E. N. P. Sowah
-Career:He presided over the case brought by Amaoako Tuffuor, a Ghanaian citizen, when the People's National Party government of Hilla Limann attempted to replace Justice Fred Kwasi Apaloo as the Chief Justice of Ghana by vetting him...
, who interestingly succeeded him on his (Apaloo's) retirement, ruled that Apaloo became Chief Justice in the Third Republic as soon as the 1979 Ghanaian constitution came into force. He served through the third republic of Ghana and continued after the overthrow of the Limann government
Limann government
This is a listing of the ministers who served in Limann's People's National Party government during the Third Republic of Ghana. The Third Republic was inaugurated on 24 September 1979. It ended with the coup on 31 December 1981, which brought the Provisional National Defence Council of Jerry...
on 31 December 1981. Due to his independence, the new military government, the Provisional National Defence Council
Provisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
led by Jerry Rawlings
Jerry 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...
also tried to remove him as Nkrumah had tried before but failed in 1983. He retired at the age of 65 years in 1986.
Chief Justice of Kenya
Kenya had a vacancy for Chief Justice in 1993 with no obvious candidate to fill it so he was appointed as the Chief Justice of KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in March 1993. He was noted to be against the death penalty while he was in Kenya. He remained Chief Justice until 1995 when he was succeeded by Abdul Majid Cockar.
Other positions
Apaloo was elected as a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and SciencesGhana Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences is an arts and science institution of Ghana, based in the capital Accra. It was founded in 1959 by Kwame Nkrumah with the aim to promote the pursuit, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in all branches of the sciences and the humanities.It formally...
in 1986. He also served on the World Bank Administrative Tribunal from 1990 till 1995.
Honours
- 1979 - Companion of the Order of the Volta (Ghana)
- 1993 - Elder of the Golden Heart (Kenya)
See also
- 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:...
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