Sophia Akuffo

Sophia Akuffo reached the very summit of Ghana's legal system and of African human-rights jurisprudence. A distinguished jurist, she served as Chief Justice of Ghana and, before that, as president of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, a career at the highest levels of the law.

Early life and education

She was born on 20 December 1949 in Akropong-Akuapem, in the Eastern Region, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. She was educated in London and at Wesley Girls' High School, and earned a law degree from the University of Ghana followed by a master's from Harvard Law School.

Legal career

She qualified as a barrister in 1975 and worked in private practice and as an in-house lawyer for Ghana Airways and Mobil before establishing her own firm. In 1995 she was elevated directly to the Supreme Court of Ghana, where she served for more than two decades.

The African Court

In 2006 she was elected one of the pioneering judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, and in 2012 she became its first female president, a landmark role in continental justice.

Chief Justice

She was appointed Chief Justice of Ghana in June 2017, serving as the head of the country's judiciary until her retirement in December 2019. Sophia Akuffo leaves a legacy as one of the most eminent legal minds Ghana has produced, at home and across Africa.