Isaac Kobina Abban

Isaac Kobina Donkor Abban (* 1933 ; † April 21, 2001 in Accra ) was Chief Justice of Ghana (chief judge) between 1995 and 2001. He was appointed by then President Jerry Rawlings, the successor to Philip Edward Archer and predecessor of Edward Kwame Wiredu . As chief judge, he took the oath of office from President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was elected for the first time in 2001 . Abban was also Chief Justice in the Seychelles.

Education and career

Abban studied law and was admitted to the bar in April 1959. Abban worked for the Cape Coast Chamber (Aumog Chambers) in the early 1960s. After successfully practicing law, Abban was appointed judge.

He was promoted to high court judge in the late 1970s . During this activity he was appointed electoral commissioner in 1978 during the time of the military junta under Ignatius Kutu Acheampong . In this position he opposed a referendum that would have made a renewed military rule by Acheampong possible. This referendum was submitted to the people for a vote on March 30, 1978 by the Supreme Military Council under Acheampong and was intended to lead to the establishment of a Union Government (UNIGOV). Acheampong planned a cooperation between the military , police and civilians to form a government while avoiding party democracy.

The opposition to this referendum as an election officer for the upcoming elections in 1979 brought the then High Court Justice Abban into disrepute among the military rulers. Abban left the country fearing for his life. The referendum in Ghana led to such a large uprising against the rulers that in June 1979, as part of a palace uprising, Fred Akuffo overturned Acheampong . Abban went to the Seychelles and also made a career as a judge there. He was appointed Chief Justice here.

On February 22, 1995 Abban was raised to the post of Chief Justice by the then Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings. Abban came under fire in the office of Chief Justice at the Supreme Court in Ghana because the elections in 2000 were supposed to offer new voter ID cards with passport photos. Here, however, Abban's Supreme Court had ruled that voters who did not yet have this new ID could also participate in the elections.

death

Abban left Ghana to seek medical treatment after President Kufuor was sworn in. He wanted to resign in May 2001 for health reasons, but died on April 21, 2001 in a hospital in Accra as a result of his illness.

See also

• Constitution of Ghana

Web links

• Modern Ghana , with photo
• Official List of Chief Justice , Government Page

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Chief Justice Abban Is Dead , Ghanaweb, April 22, 2001
2. ↑ ^{a b} Africast ( Memento from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ Post Independence Ghana , Ghana @ 50 ( Memento of the original from May 13, 2012 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Post Independence Of Ghana , Ghana @ 50 ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.