Kobina Arku Korsah

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Kobina Arku Korsah

1st Chief Justice of Ghana
In office
March 6, 1957 – December 1963
Preceded by New Position
Succeeded by J. Sarkodee-Addo

13th Chief Justice of the
Gold Coast
In office
1956 – March 6, 1957
Preceded by Sir Mark Wilson
Succeeded by None

Born 1894
Ghana
Died 1967
Ghana

Sir Kobina Arku Korsah(1894-1967) was the first black Chief Justice of Ghana (then the Gold Coast) in 1956.[1]

In 1942, Nana Sir Ofori Atta and Sir Arku Korsah were the first two Ghanaians to be appointed to the Legislative Council by the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Alan Burns.[2][3] He was one of the twenty founding members of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1959.[4] After the Kulungugu attack on President Kwame Nkrumah in August 1962, Sir Arku Korsah presided over the trial of five defendants. At the end of that trial, three of the accused were found not guilty and this displeased the Nkrumah government. Nkrumah sacked Sir Korsah as Chief Justice in December 1963 unconstitutionally.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Outrage At Law", Times inc., Dec. 20, 1963. Retrieved on 2007-03-29. 
  2. ^ Countries united by an ancient bond - Freedom after 400 years. Special Features. Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  3. ^ Buah, F. K. (1980). History of Ghana. London: Lincoln. ISBN 978-0333295151. 
  4. ^ History - Foundation Members. Official Website. Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.

[edit] See also

Legal offices
Preceded by
Sir Mark Wilson
Chief Justice of the Gold Coast
1956–1957
Succeeded by
Gold Coast attains independence
Preceded by
Ghana established
Chief Justice of Ghana
1957–1963
Succeeded by
J. Sarkodee-Addo
Languages