Samuel Azu Crabbe

Infobox Judge
honorific-prefix =
name = Samuel Azu Crabbe
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
caption =
office = 5th Chief Justice of Ghana
term_start = 1973
term_end = 15 June 1977
nominator =
appointer = I.K. Acheampong / NRC
predecessor = Edmund A.L. Bannerman
successor = Fred Kwasi Apaloo
office2 = Supreme Court Judge
term_start2 = 1961
term_end2 = 15 June 1977
appointer2 = Kwame Nkrumah
birthdate = birth date|1918|11|18|df=y
birthplace = Accra, Ghana
deathdate = death date and age |2005|09|15|1918|11|18
deathplace = Aburi, Ghana
nationality = flagicon|GHA Ghanaian
spouse =
party =
relations = V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe
Supreme Court Judge
children = 5
residence =
alma_mater = University College of London
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Samuel Azu Crabbe (18 November 1918 – 15 September 2005) was a barrister, solicitor and jurist. He was the fifth Chief Justice of Ghana since it became an independent nation. [cite web |url=http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/list%20of%20judicial%20officials/list%20of%20CJ.htm |title=List of Chief Justices |accessdate=2007-03-28 |work=Official Website |publisher=Judicial Service of Ghana] He has also been a president of the National Olympic Committee of Ghana.

Early life and education

Samuel Azu Crabbe was born at James Town, a suburb of Accra, the capital of Ghana. [cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=92161 |title=Kufuor attends funeral of ex-Chief Justice |accessdate=2007-06-02 |work=General News of Friday, 14 October 2005 |publisher=Ghana Home Page] He completed his secondary education at Accra Academy in 1939. [cite web |url=http://www.accraacaalumni.com/PeomsByBleoo2.htm |title=Accra Aca Is Calling |accessdate=2007-03-28 |author=Nikoi Kotey |publisher=Accra Academy alumni] He then proceeded to University College London, where he graduated with a law degree in 1946. He was called to the English Bar in 1948. While a student, he was quite active in sports and was the captain of a variety of junior and university football, hockey and cricket teams.cite web |url=http://www.aafla.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1979/ore140/ore140zf.pdf |title=Around the NOCs |accessdate=2007-06-02 |format=pdf |pages=pp 383,384 |work=Olympic Review, June 1979, No 140 |publisher=Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles]

ports

Azu Crabbe continued to be active in sports beyond his educational days. He was the President of the Ghana National Olympic Committee from 1968 to 1969. He was re-elected to the same position in 1979.

Career

Samuel Azu Crabbe returned to Ghana after his training in the UK, where he practised as a barrister and solicitor from 1950 onwards. He became a High Court judge in 1959 and was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 1961. Azu Crabbe performed other roles in addition to his judicial responsibilities. He was once the head of the National Finance Board during the rule of the National Liberation Council, which had overthrown the Nkrumah government. [cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol.%204%20Chpt%203%20com.MEDIA%20REP.pdf |title=The Media and Human Rights in Ghana |accessdate=2007-05-02 |date=October 2004 |pages=page 133 |work=The National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 3 |publisher=Ghana government] In 1967, he was appointed the head of a commission of enquiry (the Azu Crabbe commission) to probe the assets of Kwame Nkrumah, the former president of Ghana. [cite web |url=http://www.freeafrica.org/leadership12.html |title=Corruption: "Swiss Bank" Socialism |accessdate=2007-06-02 |work=Failed Leadership |publisher=Free Africa Foundation ] He was appointed Chief Justice by the National Redemption Council (NRC) in 1973.cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol%204%20Chpt%202%20com.legal%20rep.pdf |title=13TH JANUARY, 1972 – 3RD JUNE, 1979:National Redemption Council (NRC)/Supreme Military Council (SMC) I & II - Dismissal Of Judges |accessdate=2007-06-02 |format=pdf |date=October 2004 |pages=page 92 |work=The National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 2|publisher=Ghana government] The NRC was the military government that had overthrown the Busia government on 13 January 1972. In 1977, he was awarded a gold medal by the International Association of Trial Lawyers in recognition of his achievements. The NRC had been reorganized into the Supreme Military Council (SMC) in 1975 with General Acheampong still as the Head of state of Ghana. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) later passed a vote of no confidence in his administration. Under pressure from the GBA, the SMC published a new decree, the Judicial Service (Amendment) Decree, 1977 (SMCD 101), retiring him from the office of Chief Justice. This decree, which named him specifically, had been added to the statute books just for his dismissal.Ref_label|A|a|none

pecial Investigation Board

During the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) of Jerry Rawlings, three judges and an army officer were abducted from their homes on 30 June 1982. Their bodies were found on 3 July 1982 at the Bundase Military Range, 50 kilometers from Accra. [cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/VOL%202%20PART%202%20CHAPTER%208.pdf |title=Review of Petitions |accessdate=2007-06-02 |date=October 2004 |format=pdf |pages=141, 142 |work=National Reconciliation Committee Report Volume 2 Part 2 Chapter 8 |publsiher=Ghana government] They had been murdered. All four had adjudicated on cases inwhich they had ordered the release of persons who had been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, during the rule of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which had also been led by Jerry Rawlings in 1979. Following intense pressure on the PNDC government, a Special Investigation Board (SIB) was formed to investigate the murders. Samuel Azu Crabbe was appointed the Chairman of the SIB.cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/VOL%202%20PART%202%20CHAPTER%208.pdf |title=Review of Petitions |accessdate=2007-06-02 |format=pdf |date=October 2004 |pages=page 142 |work=The National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Part 2 Chapter 8 |publisher=Ghana government ] Their work led to the recommendation that 10 persons be prosecuted. Two of them, Joachim Amartey Kwei and Alolga Akata-Pore were members of the PNDC. A third, a retired army captain, Kojo Tsikata, was a PNDC Special Advisor and Head of National Security. Throughout the investigation, the "Ghanaian Times", a state-owned newspaper ran a persistent campaign to discredit the process as well as the SIB members. Azu Crabbe reportedly attempted to resign at a point during this period. Soon after the presentation of the Final Report, Azu Crabbe and Captain Tsikata engaged in exchanges in the public media over allegations of his (Crabbes's) supposed connection with the American CIA.cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol%204%20Chpt%202%20com.legal%20rep.pdf |title=31st December, 1982 – 6th January, 1993 Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC)-The Establishment Of The Special Investigation Board (SIB) |accessdate=2007-06-02 |format=pdf |date=October 2004 |pages=pp 98 - 104 |work=The Legal Profession (including the Judiciary) in The National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 2 |publisher=Ghana government ]

Death

Samuel Azu Crabbe died on 15 September, 2005 at Aburi in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He left behind a wife and 5 children. [cite news |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=91628&comment=0 |title=VEEP lauds late Justice Azu Crabbe |accessdate=2007-06-02 |work=General News of Thursday, 6 October 2005 |publisher=Ghana Home Page]

Publications

*cite book |last=Crabbe |first=Samuel Azu |authorlink=Samuel Azu Crabbe |title=Law of Wills in Ghana |year=1998|publisher=Vieso Universial |location= |isbn=9789988010089 |oclc= |doi= |id=

Notes

1. Note_label|A|a|noneJudicial Service (Amendment) Decree, 1977 (SMCD 101)cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Volume%202%20Part%201%20Chapter%205%20Review%20of%20Petitions.pdf |title=Review of Petitions |accessdate=2007-06-02 |format=pdf |date=October 2004 |pages=page 163 |work=The National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 2 Part 1 Chapter 5 |publisher=Ghana government ]
   "1. Notwithstanding any enactment to the contrary, Mr. Justice S. Azu Crabbe, Chief Justice ofGhana is hereby retired as Chief Justice and shall cease to be a member of the JudicialService of Ghana with effect from 15th day of June, 1977."
   

   "2. The said Mr. Justice S. Azu Crabbe shall notwithstanding that he has ceased to be a memberof the Judicial Service, after the said date be allowed to enjoy all leave he had earned prior tothat date, with full emoluments and benefits and he shall be eligible to all retiring benefits forwhich he would have been eligible as if he had retired voluntarily from the Judicial Service asChief Justice on the said date."

References

ee also

*Chief Justice of Ghana
*Supreme Court of Ghana

External links

* [http://www.judicial.gov.gh/history/list%20of%20judicial%20officials/list%20of%20CJ.htm Judicial Service of Ghana — List of Chief Justices]

Persondata
NAME = Crabbe, Samuel E. Azu
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Barrister, solicitor and jurist and a former Chief Justice.
DATE OF BIRTH = 18 November 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH = Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
DATE OF DEATH = 15 September 2005
PLACE OF DEATH = Aburi, Eastern Region, Ghana