Ghana appoints first female Chief Justice

 

Daniel Aforo

 

A renowned Ghanaian educationist, Dr. Kwagyiri Aggrey, of blessed memory, once said “if you educate a man you educate an individual buy if you educate a woman you educate a whole nation”.

 

The government of Ghana has appointed Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, a Supreme Court Judge as the next Chief Justice, following the death of Chief Justice Gorge Kinsley Acquah.

 

The President John Aggekum Kufour, in consultation with the Council of State, Judicial Council and the approval of the Legislature has installed Mrs. Wood as the first female Chief Justice of the country.

 

Be fair, impartial and humane, the president said, after administering to her the Oath of Allegiance, the Judicial Oath and Oath of Secrecy at the Credentials Hall of the Castle, Osu, reported the Ghana News Agency.

President Kufuor reminded her that being the first woman ever to head the country\’s judiciary; her conduct would blaze the path for gender balance in the society.

 

 

Mrs. Wood was a former Deputy Superintendent and Public Prosecutor, in the Ghana Police Service. She celebrated her 60^th birthday a day before she was sworn in as Chief Justice.

 

Making her statement after being sworn In, Chief Justice Wood said she had no illusion about the heavy burden placed on her shoulders and the expectations of the people. Many women, she said were also looking up to her for inspiration and pledged not to let the nation down

 

She declared that the challenges facing the Judiciary were surmountable and that through the collective will and effort of all, she was in no doubt that, the confidence of the institution would be restored.
Chief Justice Wood said her predecessor, the late Justice George Kingsley Acquah, laid a solid foundation for far-reaching institutional reforms which, she was going to build on.

 

There have been congratulatory messages from gender advocates. Among them is the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana. They said her nomination “signify the recognition of efforts by gender activists to ensure the attainment of gender parity in decision making”.

 

“Being a trail blazer on the African continent, FIDA-Ghana hopes that other Africa countries will emulate this example”. The statement said.

 

She was born on June 8, 1947.After completing Wesley Girls High School in 1966, she went straight to the University of Ghana to studied LLB (Hons).

 

It’s on record that Justice Wood is the only Judge who has passed through the all the lower ranks to the top position.