Edward Kwame Wiredu


Edward Kwame Wiredu was the Chief Justice of Ghana between 2001 and 2003. He was the tenth since Ghana became an independent nation. He is noted for introducing the Fast Track High Courts in Ghana as well as Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Judicial Institute.

Early life

Edward Wiredu was educated at the Accra Academy in Accra and 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 but did not graduate.

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 15 May 1979, he was noted to have entered a plea of not guilty for Jerry Rawlings although Rawlings himself had pleaded guilty during his trial. 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. He retired as Chief Justice in May 2003 for health reasons.