Ghanaian Authors

BEYOND ‘PENILE PENETRATION’: ASSESSING GHANA’S ANTIQUATED DEFINITION OF ‘RAPE’ THROUGH THE LENS OF THE ROME STATUTE OF THE ICC; AN URGENT CALL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT TO MODERNIZE SEXUAL OFFENCES IN GHANA.

By Her Honour Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam (Mrs.), Circuit Court 7, Accra, Ghana. LLM. Candidate, International Criminal Law and Justice, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Accra, Ghana. 25th May, 2025.   ABSTRACT Sexual violence constitutes a grave violation of human rights, undermining bodily autonomy, dignity, and gender equality. Despite its severe and […]

BEYOND ‘PENILE PENETRATION’: ASSESSING GHANA’S ANTIQUATED DEFINITION OF ‘RAPE’ THROUGH THE LENS OF THE ROME STATUTE OF THE ICC; AN URGENT CALL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT TO MODERNIZE SEXUAL OFFENCES IN GHANA. Read More »

Legal Architects: Lawyers, Prosecutors and the Space Between the Lines of the Law – Part 4

This is the 3rd Piece of a 4 part series. Part 1 may be obtained here.  Part 2 may be obtained here Part 3 may be obtained here 4.0 CORRUPTION IN THE JUDICIARY Despite the existence of perceptions and evidence of corruption among some judges, many judges maintain a commitment to integrity, actively discouraging bribery

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Legal Architects: Lawyers, Prosecutors and the Space Between the Lines of the Law – Part 3

This is the 3rd Piece of a 4 part series. Part 1 may be obtained here.  Part 2 may be obtained here 3.0 LAWYERS –  PIVOTAL ELEMENT OF JUSTICE If proverbs serve as the palm oil with which words are eaten, then lawyers function as the engines around which the wheel of justice revolves. Lawyers

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Legal Architects: Lawyers, Prosecutors and the Space Between the Lines of the Law – Part 2

This is the 2nd Piece of a 4 part series. Part 1 may be obtained here.  Cascading Effect Such factors not only affect the accused individual’s right to a fair trial within a reasonable timeframe but also impact other parties, such as witnesses. When a witness for the prosecution is present in court but the

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Legal Architects: Lawyers, Prosecutors and the Space Between the Lines of the Law

Bertha Aniagyei* Appreciation* In response to my article on judicial reforms, titled “Strengthening the Rule of Law: The Need for Bold and Inclusive Judicial Reforms,” a thoughtful reader highlighted that the responsibility for certain persistent challenges, particularly the issue of undue delay in adjudication, is a shared one between the judiciary and other stakeholders. I

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THE DEFICIENCY OF CONFESSION STATEMENTS IN GHANAIAN COURTS; AN URGENT CALL FOR MANDATORY VIDEO-RECORDED CAUTIONED STATEMENTS.

By Her Honour Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam (Mrs.), Circuit Court 7 Accra, Ghana. 28th March, 2025. ABSTRACT Confession statements hold significant evidentiary weight in Ghanaian criminal trials, often influencing case outcomes. However, the reliance on independent witnesses to attest to the voluntariness of confessions, as mandated by the Criminal Procedure Act, has proven inadequate. As

THE DEFICIENCY OF CONFESSION STATEMENTS IN GHANAIAN COURTS; AN URGENT CALL FOR MANDATORY VIDEO-RECORDED CAUTIONED STATEMENTS. Read More »

WORKERS’ DAY TRIBUTE: SALUTING THE RESILIENCE OF LOWER BENCH JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES

By Her Honour Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam (Mrs.), Circuit Court 7 Accra, Ghana. May 1, 2025. Introduction Each year, on the 1st of May, the world comes together to celebrate the invaluable contributions of workers. In Ghana, this significant occasion is observed as a public holiday, marked by various celebrations that culminate in parades at

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Military Overreach and Outdated Laws: Justice for Akwasi Lala

A tragedy unfolded yesterday in Nyinahin that exemplifies how outdated legislation and unchecked military authority continue to threaten civilian lives in Ghana. Akwasi Lala, a young man participating in a funeral procession, was confronted by armed soldiers for wearing camouflage-patterned clothing. What followed was not an arrest —it was an execution. Akwasi was murdered, shot

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Circuit Court judge refutes breaking traffic rules and influencing the detention of 4 Police officers

A Circuit Court Judge at the Adenta Court Complex in Accra, Angela Attachie, has accused four police officers of harassing her instead of protecting her as they’re mandated to. Her claims follow recent reports suggesting that she influenced the detention of four police officers by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohonu, after

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INFORMED PLEA OF GUILT AND THE JUDICIAL BURDEN OF ENSURING A FAIR TRIAL

H.H. BERTHA ANIAGYEI CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE The centrality of the right to fair trial, and in particular, the presumption of innocence of an accused person in a criminal trial casts a duty on a court to ensure and satisfy itself that a plea of guilt entered by an accused person is voluntary, well-informed and not

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