Mabel Agyemang

Her Ladyship Mrs. Justice/Her Ladyship Justice
Mabel Maame Agyemang
(née Banful)
Personal details
Born Ghana
Nationality Ghana Ghanaian
Alma mater Ghana School of Law, University of Ghana, Wesley Girls' High School
Occupation Judge
Profession Lawyer, Judge

Her Ladyship Mrs. Justice Mabel Maame Agyemang née Banful (also Yamoa), is an expert superior court judge who has served in the judiciaries of the Governments of Ghana, The Gambia and Swaziland.[1] She was the first female Chief Justice of the Republic of The Gambia.<ref name=["Gainako"]> Editorial: Will Appointment of Ghanaian Justice Mabel Agyemang as Chief Justice bring Judicial reform in Gambia?, Gainako</ref>[2]

Judicial Career

Justice Agyemang was called to the Ghanaian Bar in 1987 and joined the Bench shortly after. As a Ghanaian judge, she served in various judicial capacities and sat in a number of jurisdictions including Accra, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Kumasi, and Tema. She also served as vice-president of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana from 1996 to 2000.[3] She was elevated to the High Court in 2002.[4]

She began working for the Commonwealth Secretariat as an expert judge in 2004, first being sent to The Gambia where she spent four years as a High Court judge.[5] During her four-year tenure in the Gambia, Justice Agyemang served the Land, Civil, Commercial and Criminal divisions and successfully completed about 365 files.[5] In 2008, she was seconded to Swaziland where she served for two years in a similar capacity.[1] Her cases in Swaziland spanned both private and public law and included cases on defamation, unlawful arrests, police brutality and electoral disputes.[1] One of her notable judgments in Swaziland was her judgment on the right to free education.[6]

Justice Agyemang returned to The Gambia in 2010, still with the Commonwealth Secretariat, as an expert Appeal Court Judge.[7] She was appointed Chief Justice of the Gambia in August 2013.[8][2] Her appointment was widely seen as an inspired choice as she is seen by the international community as an experienced and independent minded judge.[9] She served until her abrupt removal in February 2014. There was no official reason given by the Gambian government as to the cause of dismissal.[10][11] It is suspected by many in the international judicial community that her dismissal was tied to differences over a human rights abuse case [12] and her insistence on judicial independence. [13] She currently serves as a Justice of the Ghana Court of Appeal.[14]

Personal Life

Justice Agyemang is a devout Christian and is currently married with two children.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Helping to deliver justice in Swaziland, Commonwealth Secretariat
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Agyemang Confirmed Chief Justice, The Observer
  3. ↑ Ghanaian judges introduced in the Gambia
  4. ↑ Restore confidence in the Judiciary: JAK to Judges
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Justice Agyemang Takes Leave of the Gambia, The Point Newspaper
  6. ↑ SWAZILAND: Judge rules for free education, IRIN Africa
  7. ↑ Four new judges sworn-in
  8. ↑ Ghanaian To Be Sworn In As The Chief Justice Of Gambia
  9. ↑ British High Commissioner Comments on Appointment of new Chief Justice
  10. ↑ Gambia’s Chief Justice Removed
  11. ↑ Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang removed
  12. ↑ Judicial Independence and Human Rights Issues: Gambia
  13. ↑ One More Victim of a Patently Vindictive Dictator
  14. ↑ President Mahama swears in five Court of Appeal judges

See also