Edward Kwame Wiredu

Infobox Judge
name = Edward Kwame Wiredu


imagesize =
caption =
office = 10^th Chief Justice of Ghana
(22^nd including Gold Coast)
termstart = 2001
termend = 2003
nominator =
appointer = John Kufuor
predecessor = Isaac Kobina Abban
successor = George Kingsley Acquah
birthdate = c 1936
birthplace =
deathdate = 31 January 2008, aged 73
deathplace =
spouse =

Edward Kwame Wiredu (born c.1936, died 31 January 2008) was the Chief Justice of Ghana between 2001 and 2003. [cite web |url=http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/list%20of%20judicial%20officials/list%20of%20CJ.htm |title=List of Chief Justices |accessdate=2007-04-13 |work=Official Website |publisher=Judicial Service of Ghana] He was the tenth since Ghana became an independent nation. He is noted for introducing the Fast Track Courts in Ghana as well as Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Judicial Institute.

Early life

Edward Wiredu was educated at the Adisadel College at Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. He then went on to the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, which is now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=141434 |title=State burial service for Chief Justice Wiredu |accessdate=2008-03-28 |work=General News of Thursday, 27 March 2008 |publisher=Ghana Home Page]

Career

Wiredu was called to the British bar in 1960. He went on to serve on the Bench for a total of 34 years after having been in private practice. He was appointed a High Court Judge in 1969. After the abortive coup of May 15, 1979, he was noted to have entered a plea of not guilty for Jerry Rawlings although Rawlings himself had pleaded guilty during his trial.cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=138585 |title=Ex-Chief Justice Wiredu is dead |accessdate=2008-03-28 |work=General News of Friday, 1 February 2008 |publisher=Ghana Home Page] In 1980, he was elevated to be an Appeal Court Judge. He became a Supreme Court Judge in 1990. He was appointed Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic by John Kufuor at the beginning of his presidency on 9 November 2001. He is considered by some to be a strong advocate for the independence of the Judiciary. [cite web|url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=101738 |title=CJ Acquah Against Executive Interference in the Judiciary |accessdate=2007-04-13 |date=2006-03-29 |last=Adu-Asare |first=Yaw |work=Feature Article |publisher=Ghana Home Page |quote= Chief Justice Wiredu was a fierce and relentless defender of independence of the Judiciary, as a branch of government. He resisted interference from both the Executive and Parliament in the running of the Judicial Service, but in the final analysis, he recognized so often that his domain fell to the power of those who pulled the purse strings in government, so to speak.... In his capacity as head of the Judicial Service, Chief Justice Emmanuel K. Wiredu in early 2002 admonished the ministry of finance about what he described as unconstitutional behavior with respect to the budget allocation for the Service.] He retired as Chief Justice in May 2003 for health reasons.

References

ee also

*Judiciary of Ghana
*Supreme Court of Ghana

Persondata
NAME= Wiredu, Edward Kwame
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Supreme Court Judge and former Chief Justice of Ghana
DATE OF BIRTH= c 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH= 31 January 2008
PLACE OF DEATH=