The Chief Justice of Ghana, Kwasi Anin Yeboah officially retires from active service today, May 24, 2023.
The 70-year-old served for three years since taking over from retired Justice Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo in 2019.
President Akufo-Addo has described outgoing Justice Anin-Yeboah, as an exceptional leader of the Judiciary at a farewell dinner organized by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in his honour.
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The President said the tenure of Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah has seen laudable achievements worth emulating by his successor.
“Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah has been an exceptional leader to the judiciary. He has guarded jealously the judiciary and his conduct has brought honour to the judiciary and to our country. Not only has he continued with the modernisation of activities of the judiciary, but his tenure of office has also seen arguably the largest infrastructural development undertaken in the history of the judiciary,” he said.
Relatedly, President Akufo-Addo informed Parliament of his decision to appoint Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as Chief Justice as Justice Anin’s replacement earlier this month.
In a letter to Parliament, President Akufo-Addo called for her speedy approval.
About Justice Anin-Yeboah
Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah was born in 1953 in Toase, Ashanti Region of Ghana.
He attended the Amaniampong Secondary School and Apam Secondary School for his senior high school education and then graduated from the university and Ghana Law School in 1981.
Career
Assistant State Attorney at the Attorney General Office in Koforidua.
Partner at Afisem chambers at its Koforidua Branch.
Eastern Regional Bar President.
Justice of the Court of Appeal (2003-2008) and the High Court (2002-2003) in Ghana
Chairman of the Appeal Committee at the Ghana Football Association from 2004 to 2008 serving and providing his legal experience to football in Ghana.
Chairman of the Legal Aid Board and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of The General Legal Council of Ghana.
Appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana by President John Kufuor in June 2008.
Justice Anin-Yeboah replaced Sophia Akuffo as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana in December 2019.
His vetting was put on hold as Mensah Thompson, the executive director for the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) wanted to allow for CHRAJ to complete investigations on a petition against Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.
It was alleged by Mensah Thompson that he did not follow the requirements of the law by disclosing his assets and liabilities.
The nominee had complied with article 286 of the constitution by declaring his assets and liabilities to the auditor general. This was discovered at the end of the preliminary investigations. The complaint was accordingly dismissed.
Kwasi Anin-Yeboah was then appointed after Akuffo-Addo in consultation with the Council of State after his vetting. He was the first male Chief Justice in 12 years.
He was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of Ghana on 7 January 2020.
Anin-Yeboah also served as a part-time lecturer at Ghana School of Law teaching Civil procedure and Ghana Legal System.
His legal experience includes writing judgment in constitutional matters, and civil and criminal cases. He also provides opinions on legal matters in the West African nation.
Sporting role
Kwasi Anin-Yeboah was a member of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA.
In May 2017, he was appointed Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain.
He was also the chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committee responsible for investigating possible infringements of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
He was part of the CAF/FIFA Reform Implementation Taskforce team for African football in September 2019.