This is a list of the judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The Constitution of Ghana provides for the court to be made up of the Chief Justice of Ghana and not less than nine other Justices of the Supreme Court. It shall be duly constituted by at least five Supreme Court judges.
Appointment of judges Article 144 clause 1 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana stipulates that the Chief Justice of Ghana is to be appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of the Parliament of Ghana. Article 144 clause 2 states that Justices of the Supreme court are appointed on the advice of the Judicial Council in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament. Where the position of Chief Justice is vacant or where the holder of the position is unable to perform their duties for a period, the most senior member of the Supreme Court shall act as Chief Justice as in clause 6 of Article 144. In May 2020, President Akufo-Addo appointed four additional judges to the Supreme Court.
Retirement or removal from office According to Article 145 clause 4 of the constitution, a Supreme Court Judge is expected to vacate their office on reaching the age of seventy years. They can carry on up to an additional six months to ensure that they are able to complete any proceedings they may have been involved in at that stage. The judges are guaranteed job security. Article 146 states the conditions for their removal as "except for stated misbehaviour or incompetence or on ground of inability to perform the functions of his office arising from infirmity of body or mind." The procedure for this has also been clearly stated in the constitution.
List of judges of the Supreme Court
#Name Previous judicial office Served from Served until Tenure NotesAppointed by 1 Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court Chief Justice of Ghana 1957–1963Dismissed by Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah 2 Appeal Court Judge 1957 Retired when Supreme Court acquitted Tawia Adamafio and others on treason charges Kwame Nkrumah3 Appeal Court Judge Kwame Nkrumah4 High Court Judge Chief Justice 1964–1966Removed after coup d'état Kwame Nkrumah5 Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana (1958–1960) Speaker of Parliament of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah6 High Court Judge 1959 Supreme Court was replaced by the Appeals Court in 1966 Kwame Nkrumah Appeal Court Judge Supreme Court replaced by the Appeals Court in 1972Chief Justice 1973–1977 Edward Akufo-Addo 7 High Court Judge 2 July 1956 – 1962 Dismissed 2 March 1964 by NkrumahMember of Constitutional Commission1966–1967 Kwame Nkrumah8 High Court Judge Jan 1960Attorney General 1961–1962 Acting Chief Justice (1965) Kwame Nkrumah 9 High Court Judge Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana 1969–1972 Kwame Nkrumah 10 Private legal practitioner Dismissed 2 March 1964 by Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah 11 Private legal practitioner Dismissed 2 March 1964 by Nkrumah.Reinstated by the NLC as an Appeals Court judge.Chief Justice (1966–1970) Kwame Nkrumah 12 High Court Judge Kwame Nkrumah13 High Court Judge Kwame Nkrumah14 High Court Judge Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court Kwame Nkrumah Appeal Court Judge Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court Edward Akufo-Addo Appeal Court Judge 1986 Chief Justice of Ghana 1977–1986Chief Justice of Kenya 1993–1995 Hilla Limann 15 High Court Judge Supreme Court Judge in Zambia 1976–1980. Kwame Nkrumah16 High Court Judge Supreme Court was replaced by the Appeals Court in 1966 by the National Liberation Council Kwame Nkrumah Appeal Court Judge Dismissed by NRC Military government. Edward Akufo-Addo17 High Court Judge Supreme Court replaced by the Appeals Court by the then NLC government. Kwame Nkrumah18 Legal adviser to Ghana Police and Ghana Airways (1967–70) Chief Justice 1970–1972Sacked by NRC Military government. Edward Akufo-Addo19 Interim Electoral Commissioner Edward Akufo-Addo19 Appeal Court Judge Hilla Limann20 Member of the Council of State Sacked by NRC Military government. Edward Akufo-Addo21 Dean of the Faculty of law, University of Zambia Edward Akufo-Addo22 High Court Judge (1960–1964)Private legal practitioner Edward Akufo-Addo 23 Appeal Court Judge (1969–1970) Supreme Court replaced by Appeals Court Edward Akufo-Addo Appeal Court Judge (1972–1980) Retired voluntarily in July 1982Later became a justice of the Appeal Court of the Gambia Hilla Limann24 Attorney General 1969–1971 Acting Chief Justice (1990 to 1991) Hilla Limann 25 Appeal Court judge Retired in 1983 Hilla Limann Appointed Chairman of the Law Reform Commission following his retirement as a Supreme Court judge, was called out of retirement in 1991 to serve as Chief Justice of Ghana Chief of Justice 1991–1995 Jerry Rawlings26 Appeal Court Judge Chief Justice of Ghana 1986–1990 Hilla Limann27 High Court Judge Hilla Limann28 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings29 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 30 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 31 Appeal Court Judge Chief Justice of Seychelles 1990–1993Chief Justice of Ghana. Died in office. Jerry Rawlings 32 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 33 Attorney General of Ghana Jerry Rawlings 34 Appeals Court Judge Chief Justice of Ghana 2001–2003 Jerry Rawlings 35 Director of Public Prosecutions2nd Deputy Speaker of the Consultative Assembly First female justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and first female Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana Jerry Rawlings 36 Private legal practice Jerry Rawlings 37 Appeal Court Judge Acting Chief Justice (25 March 2007 to15 June 2007) Jerry Rawlings 38 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 39 Appeal Court Judge Resigned in October 2002 on personal grounds Jerry Rawlings 40 Appeals Court Judge Chief Justice of Ghana. Died in office. Jerry Rawlings 41 Private legal practitioner Chief Justice (2017–2019) Jerry Rawlings 42 Appeal Court Judge Died in office Jerry Rawlings 43 State attorney Acting Chief Justice (21 February 2017 to 19 June 2017) 23 years in Supreme Court Jerry Rawlings 44 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 45 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 46 Private legal practitioner Jerry Rawlings 47 Appeal Court Judge Jerry Rawlings 48 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor49 Appeal Court Judge 1991–2002 Chief Justice 2007–2017 John Kufuor50 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor51 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor52 Private legal practitioner John Kufuor53 Professor of Law at the University of Ghana John Kufuor54 Special Adviser (Legal) at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London John Kufuor55 Professor of Law at the University of Ghana Died in office John Kufuor56 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor57 Appeal Court Judge Acting Chief Justice (20 December 2019 to 7 January 2020) John Kufuor58 Chief Justice of the Gambia John Kufuor59 Appeal Court Judge Judge on United Nations Appeals Tribunal 2009–2016 John Kufuor60 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor61 Justice of the Court of Appeal (2003–2008) Chief Justice (7 January 2020 to 24 May 2023) John Kufuor62 Appeal Court JudgeSupreme Court Judge in the Gambia Acting Chief Justice (24 May 2023 to 8 June 2023) John Kufuor63 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Chief Justice since 17 November 2025 John Kufuor64 Appeal Court Judge John Kufuor65 Appeal Court Judge John Atta Mills 66 Appeal Court Judge John Atta Mills67 Appeal Court Judge John Atta Mills68 Appeal Court Judg John Mahama 69 Appeal Court Judge John Mahama70 Appeal Court Judge John Mahama71 Private legal practitioner Incumbent John Mahama72 Private legal practitioner President of the Ghana Bar Association (2012–2016) Nana Akufo-Addo 73 Appeal Court Judge Nana Akufo-Addo74 Professor of Law at the University of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo75 Appeal Court Judge Died in office Nana Akufo-Addo76 Appeal Court Judge President of Ghana chapter, International Association of Women Judges, 2014 Nana Akufo-Addo77 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo78 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Vice-chair, e-Justice CommitteeJudicial Training Institute Board member Chief Justice (Appointed on 12 June 2023) Nana Akufo-Addo79 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo80 Appeal Court Judge Although officially retired on 4 September 2022, he was granted some time by the Chief Justice (Anin Yeboah) to conclude a pending case. He was removed from the case in February 2023. Nana Akufo-Addo81 Professor of Law at the University of Ghana Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo82 Private legal practitioner Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo83 Appeal Court Judge Nana Akufo-Addo84 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo85 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo86 High Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo87 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo88 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo89Richard Adjei-Frimpong Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo90 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama91 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama92 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama93 Appeal Court Judge John Mahama94 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama95 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama96 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent John Mahama97 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent First nominated 2024 by Akufo-Addo but process not completed John Mahama98 Appeal Court Judge Incumbent Former President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice John Mahama99 Private legal practitioner Incumbent President of the Ghana Bar Association (2018 - 2021) John Mahama
See also Constitution of Ghana Judiciary of Ghana Supreme Court of Ghana
References
External links Justices of the Supreme Court (Judicial Service of Ghana)