Mabel Agyemang
| Her Ladyship Mrs. Justice/Her Ladyship Justice Mabel Maame Agyemang (née Banful) | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ghana |
| Nationality | 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 Gambia.[2][3]
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.[4] She was elevated to the High Court in 2002.[5]
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.[6] During her four-year tenure in the Gambia, Justice Agyemang served the Land, Civil, Commercial and Criminal divisions and successfully completed about 365 files.[6] 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.[7]
Justice Agyemang returned to The Gambia in 2010, still with the Commonwealth Secretariat, as an expert Appeal Court Judge.[8] She was appointed Chief Justice of the Gambia in August 2013.[3][9] Her appointment was widely seen as an inspired choice as she is seen by the international community as an experienced and independent minded judge.[10] 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.[11][12][13] It is suspected by many in the international judicial community that her dismissal was tied to differences over a human rights abuse case[14] and her insistence on judicial independence.[15] She currently serves as a Justice of the Ghana Court of Appeal.[16] In October 2015, while speaking at the opening ceremony of a new judicial complex in Accra, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama cited Justice Agyemang as an example of highly respected judges within the Ghanaian judiciary.[17]
Personal life
Justice Agyemang is a devout Christian and is currently married with two children.
References
- 1 2 3 Helping to deliver justice in Swaziland, Commonwealth Secretariat
- ↑ Editorial: Will Appointment of Ghanaian Justice Mabel Agyemang as Chief Justice bring Judicial reform in Gambia?, Gainako
- 1 2 Agyemang Confirmed Chief Justice, The Observer
- ↑ Ghanaian judges introduced in the Gambia
- ↑ Restore confidence in the Judiciary: JAK to Judges
- 1 2 Justice Agyemang Takes Leave of the Gambia, The Point Newspaper
- ↑ SWAZILAND: Judge rules for free education, IRIN Africa
- ↑ Four new judges sworn-in, The Daily Observer
- ↑ Ghanaian To Be Sworn In As The Chief Justice Of Gambia, Peace FM Online
- ↑ British High Commissioner Comments on Appointment of new Chief Justice, The Point Newspaper
- ↑ 2014 Human Rights Reports: The Gambia, US Department of State
- ↑ Gambia’s Chief Justice Removed, Kibaaro News
- ↑ Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang removed, The Point Newspaper
- ↑ Judicial Independence and Human Rights Issues: Gambia, Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association
- ↑ One More Victim of a Patently Vindictive Dictator, Sidi Sanneh
- ↑ President Mahama swears in five Court of Appeal judges, Daily Graphic
- ↑ Avoid tagging entire judiciary as corrupt – Mahama, Ghana Business News