From Anthony Forson to Dominic Ayine: Ghana's Attorneys General since 1993

The Office of the Attorney General is one of the most important positions in Ghana's constitutional and legal architecture.

Under Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, the Attorney General is the principal legal adviser to the government, is responsible for initiating and conducting criminal prosecutions, and handles civil cases on behalf of the State.

Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1993, the office has changed hands several times, with some Attorney General serving for years while others had relatively short tenures.

Here is a look at the 13 individuals who have served as Attorney General since 1993, their periods in office and some of the notable aspects of their careers.

1. Anthony Forson

Anthony Forson became Attorney General and Minister of Justice on March 1, 1993, at the beginning of Ghana's Fourth Republic under President Jerry John Rawlings.

His tenure was brief. He resigned on October 30, 1993, after about eight months in office, and was succeeded by Obed Yao Asamoah. Forson, a lawyer who was called to the Ghana Bar in 1964, later served as Ghana's High Commissioner to India from 1994 to 1997.

His brief tenure makes him the shortest-serving Attorney General on the list.

2. Obed Yao Asamoah — 1993–2001

Obed Yao Asamoah took over following Forson's resignation. He initially served as Acting Attorney General from November 1993 to May 1997, before becoming the substantive Attorney General.

He remained in the position until January 6, 2001, making him one of the longest-serving occupants of the office in Ghana's Fourth Republic.

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He served under President Rawlings and was also Foreign Affairs Minister for many years during the Rawlings administration.

His tenure therefore covered the early years of the Fourth Republic and most of Rawlings' two elected presidential terms.

3. Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo — 2001–2003

Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo became Attorney General and Minister of Justice after the New Patriotic Party won the 2000 presidential election and John Agyekum Kufuor assumed office.

He served from February 2001 to April 2003 before being moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

One of the major legal reforms associated with his tenure was the repeal of the criminal libel law, while he also pursued reforms aimed at improving Ghana's justice system, including the automation of the courts.

Akufo-Addo later became President of Ghana, serving from 2017 to 2025.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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