Akufo-Addo is Ghana’s ‘most distinguished legal practitioner’ – Chief Justice

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Ghana’s foremost lawyer.

According to her, Akufo-Addo in his days as a lawyer and now as president has been a champion of justice, adding that he has also actively supported the judiciary since becoming president.

“We appreciate the strong support we have received from the Office of the President. The culmination of this support is the presence of His Excellency with us this morning,” she said in remarks at the opening of a conference in Accra (May 13).

The event was the inauguration of the 2024 Africa Conference of the International Association of Women Judges.

The conference, themed “The Role of Women Judges in Combating Negative Cultural Practices in Contemporary Times,” provided a forum for discussing crucial issues of gender equality and judicial activism.

“His Excellency is a lawyer and champion of justice and his name is definably hatched in the legal history of this country as the most distinguished legal practitioner.

“His belief in the rule of law has been evident during his tenure as president and the judicial service of Ghana has been a beneficiary of the exceptional level of physical and technological infrastructure during this period,” the CJ added.

The current CJ is the third since President Akufo-Addo came into office.

The first appointee to the role was Sophia Akuffo then Kwasi Anin Yeboah before the coming into office of Torkornoo in 2023.

In his remarks, Akufo-Addo spoke about his contributions to the judiciary in terms of infrastructure.

“Since taking office in 2017, my administration has made significant strides in providing court infrastructure and residential facilities for judges nationwide, achieving notable progress in this area,” he said.