Kwasi Anin-Yeboah

Kwasi Anin-Yeboah (born 24 May 1953) is a Ghanaian judge and a former Chief Justice of Ghana. In December 2019, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Anin-Yeboah as the Chief Justice of Ghana.

Early life and education Anin-Yeboah was born in Toase in Ashanti Region of Ghana on 24 May 1953. He attended Amaniampong Secondary School and Apam Secondary School from 1968 to 1976. He then continued his education at the University of Ghana and later the Ghana School of Law, graduating in 1981.

Legal career in Ghana

After graduating from law school he served as an assistant state attorney at the Attorney General's Office in Koforidua. He proceeded to work as a partner at the Koforidua branch of Afisem Chambers. Anin-Yeboah has also provided his legal experience to football in his country, serving as chairman both locally and nationally, as the Disciplinary Committee for the Eastern Region Football Association (FA) and Appeal Committee at the Ghana Football Association from 2004 to 2008. He is currently the chairman of the Legal Aid Board and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council of Ghana. Anin-Yeboah was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana by President John Kufuor in June 2008.

Appointment as chief justice In December 2019, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Anin-Yeboah to replace Sophia Akuffo as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana. His vetting was opposed by the Executive Director for the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson who wanted Parliament to put on hold, the vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah to allow for CHRAJ to complete investigations on a petition against the nominee. Mr. Mensah had alleged that Justice Anin Yeboah has not disclosed his assets and liabilities as required by law. The following was the findings and decisions of CHRAJ with respect to the non-declaration of asset as raised by Mr. Mensah.

Findings

At the end of the preliminary investigations the commission finds as a fact that the respondent has complied with article 286 of the constitution by declaring his assets and liabilities to the auditor general.

Anin Yeboah whose appointment by Akuffo-Addo was in consultation with the Council of State as stipulated by the Constitution of Ghana was approved as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana by the Parliament of Ghana after vetting in December 2019. He is the first male Chief Justice in 12 years.

John Mahama was challenging the election on the basis that his contender Nana Akufo-Addo and the other eight presidential candidates did not attain the mandatory 50%+1 vote constitutional threshold to be declared the winner of the polls.

Contribution to academia In addition to his work as a Justice of the Supreme Court he also serves as a Part-Time lecturer at the Ghana School of Law where he teaches Civil procedure and Ghana Legal System. The following are some positions he occupied in the international arena.

He rose to become a member of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA and he was subsequently appointed in May 2017, as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain

Anin-Yeboah was replaced by Justice Jones Dotse the most senior justice of the Supreme Court as acting Chief Justice until a substantive Chief Justice was appointed. Justice Gertrude Torkornoo the Chief Justice elect nominated by the president, was approved by Parliament, and sworn into office as the 15th Chief Justice of Ghana on 12 June 2023, by President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.