Joy Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu

Early life and education Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko was born on 29 October 1957 in Kumasi.

She attended Wesley Girls High School for both her ordinary level certificate and advanced level certificate obtained in 1975 and 1977 respectively. She continued at University of Ghana where she graduated with Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1980 and studied at the Ghana School of Law from 1980 to 1982. She was called to the Ghana bar in 1982. She had postgraduate studies at Yale University, obtaining a Master of Laws (LLM) in 1985.

She has used platforms available to her to advocate for peace to accelerate national development. She was the guest speaker at the Second Annual Peace Lecture put together by the Accra West chapter of the Rotary Club and the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), where she spoke about the "need to nurture peace" without waiting "till the need arises for peace before we go for it".

In 2017, Mensa-Bonsu failed in her bid to be elected as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC). She was a member of the Presidential Commission of Enquiry which probed the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

Supreme Court appointment Mensa-Bonsu was nominated by Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, in May 2020 for consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court of Ghana.

Her name was submitted with those of three other judges by President Akufo-Addo to parliament for appointment to the Supreme Court bench. The others were Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Justice Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu and Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi.

Personal life Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko married Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu. They have three daughters, five grandchildren, three foster sons and three foster grandchildren.