A recent discussion among legal and human rights experts has exposed the alarming scale of obstetric violence in Africa, a crisis that contributes to the continent’s disproportionately high maternal mortality rates. The findings, shared during a virtual panel, underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms in maternal healthcare. This dispatch was co-authored by Divyabharthi Baradhan [...]

Ghana and Zambia announced a landmark bilateral agreement to implement visa-free travel for their citizens, marking the first such arrangement between the two nations. Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama confirmed the deal during a three-day state visit to Lusaka on February 4, following a reception by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Official reports published on February 5 [...]

Former Ghana Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6 in Washington, DC, where he remains in custody at the Caroline Detention Facility in the state of Virginia. His detention follows Ghana’s December 10 formal extradition request to the US Department of Justice for Ofori-Atta, who faces [...]

On November 19, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—a regional court with jurisdiction over human rights violations in the bloc’s member states—ordered Ghana to file its defense by December 19 in the case of Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo v. The Republic of Ghana. Former Ghana chief [...]

For 21 days, I have stared at a blank page, caught in the throes of an existential whiplash. Last month, I was dispatched by JURIST to attend the Second World Social Summit to report on the mechanics of global development, but I returned to Ghana unsettled. This was my first international trip—and the reality of [...]

On Tuesday, October 21, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt.  Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, read to the House a letter endorsed by Ghana’s President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. The letter, dated October 7, formally announced President Mahama’s nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for the position of Chief Justice under Article 144(1) of Ghana’s 1992 [...]

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced on September 15 a new visa policy reforming requirements for Chinese nationals in the country. The policy aims to curb illegal mining in Ghana—commonly known as “galamsey.” Illegal mining continues to devastate water bodies, threaten public health, and contribute to rising electricity and water costs. One [...]

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has removed Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo from her office and the Supreme Court following petitions accusing her of misusing public funds. The decision, announced on September 1, came after a constitutionally mandated committee investigated the petitions and recommended her removal for “misbehavior.” According to the committee’s findings, Her [...]

The government of Ghana on August 14 announced that it has invited American forensic experts to assist in investigating the August 6 military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including two cabinet ministers. The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, called upon the Ghana Journalists Association to [...]

In a public address on July 29, Ghana’s attorney general and minister for justice, Mr. Dominic Ayine, announced plans to expand access to legal education through sweeping reforms aimed at helping thousands of LLB holders who are unable to enter the Ghana School of Law (GSL) and qualify as lawyers. Ghana’s current legal education system [...]