Isaac Kobina Abban
Isaac Kobina Donkor Abban | |
---|---|
9th Chief Justice of Ghana (21st including Gold Coast) | |
In office 22 February 1995 – 21 April 2001 | |
Appointed by | Jerry Rawlings |
Preceded by | Philip Edward Archer |
Succeeded by | Edward Kwame Wiredu |
Personal details | |
Born | 1933 |
Died | 21 April 2001 Accra, Ghana |
Isaac Kobina Donkor Abban (born 1933) was the Chief Justice of Ghana between 1995 and 2001. He was the ninth person to hold this position since Ghana became an independent nation.[1]
Electoral Commissioner
Justice Abban was called to the bar on 18 April 1959. While a High Court Judge, he was appointed the electoral commissioner and supervised the controversial 'Union Government (UNIGOV)' referendum on 30 March 1978 during the Supreme Military Council (SMC) era. At a point during the referendum, he went into hiding in fear of his life from the military authorities.[2] This was because he opposed the attempts to rig the UNIGOV referendum by the military SMC government.[3] He also supervised the 1979 presidential elections that elected Dr Hilla Limann president of the third republic of Ghana.
Chief Justice
He left for Seychelles where he served as the Chief Justice from 1990 to 1993.[3] On his return to Ghana, he rejoined the Judicial Service of Ghana and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana. On 22 February 1995, he was appointed Chief Justice by the President, Jerry Rawlings.[3]
Death
Justice Abban was due to retire on 1 May 2001, for health reasons.[4] He died a few days before that on 21 April 2001 in Accra, Ghana at the age of 67.[3][5]
Notes
- ^ "List of Chief Justices". Official Website. Judicial Service of Ghana. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
- ^ "History of Ghana – Post Independence Ghana". 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration of Ghana. Ghana government. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
In furtherance of the UNIGOV policy, a referendum was held on 30 March 1978 to ascertain the wishes of Ghanaians on the issue. Halfway through the referendum, the Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Justice Isaac Kobina Abban, a judge of the High Court, had to give up his job, flee into hiding apparently to save his life.
- ^ a b c d "Ghanaian Chief Justice is dead". africast.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
- ^ "Chief Justice Retires". General News of Tuesday, 10 April 2001. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
- ^ "Chief Justice Abban Is Dead". General News of Sunday, 22 April 2001. Ghana Home Page. 22 April 2001. Retrieved 13 April 2007.