In a January dispatch by JURIST, we noted that former Ghana Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pursuant to Ghana’s December 10 formal extradition request to the US Department of Justice for Ofori-Atta, who faces 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offenses. However, on June 5, ICE’s removal proceedings against him were terminated after a [...]

On Friday, May 29, Ghana’s Parliament considered and passed the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill 2025, after its re-introduction. The bill had previously passed in 2024 but failed to become law due to a lack of assent from the then president. As a result, it lapsed with the Eighth Parliament and required reintroduction and passage by the Ninth [...]

A groundbreaking resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly has classified the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity, sparking renewed global dialogue on reparations and the lasting consequences of historical slavery. Spearheaded by Ghana and the African Union, the resolution emphasizes the critical need to confront past injustices and their continued [...]

A recent discussion among legal and human rights experts has exposed the alarming scale of obstetric violence in Africa, a crisis that contributes to the continent’s disproportionately high maternal mortality rates. The findings, shared during a virtual panel, underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms in maternal healthcare. This dispatch was co-authored by Divyabharthi Baradhan [...]

Ghana and Zambia announced a landmark bilateral agreement to implement visa-free travel for their citizens, marking the first such arrangement between the two nations. Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama confirmed the deal during a three-day state visit to Lusaka on February 4, following a reception by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Official reports published on February 5 [...]

Former Ghana Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6 in Washington, DC, where he remains in custody at the Caroline Detention Facility in the state of Virginia. His detention follows Ghana’s December 10 formal extradition request to the US Department of Justice for Ofori-Atta, who faces [...]

On November 19, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—a regional court with jurisdiction over human rights violations in the bloc’s member states—ordered Ghana to file its defense by December 19 in the case of Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo v. The Republic of Ghana. Former Ghana chief [...]

For 21 days, I have stared at a blank page, caught in the throes of an existential whiplash. Last month, I was dispatched by JURIST to attend the Second World Social Summit to report on the mechanics of global development, but I returned to Ghana unsettled. This was my first international trip—and the reality of [...]

On Tuesday, October 21, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt.  Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, read to the House a letter endorsed by Ghana’s President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. The letter, dated October 7, formally announced President Mahama’s nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for the position of Chief Justice under Article 144(1) of Ghana’s 1992 [...]

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced on September 15 a new visa policy reforming requirements for Chinese nationals in the country. The policy aims to curb illegal mining in Ghana—commonly known as “galamsey.” Illegal mining continues to devastate water bodies, threaten public health, and contribute to rising electricity and water costs. One [...]