Avril Lovelace-Johnson is a
Ghanaian judge. She was nominated for the position of a
Supreme Court of Ghana
The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive arms of government.1992 Constitution Article 125( ...
judge in November 2019 and received parliamentary approval in December 2019.
She was sworn in on 17 December 2019.
She has been on the bench in Ghana since 1994 and was appointed a Supreme Court judge in 2019.
Early life and education
Lovelace-Johnson was born on 30 April 1961 in
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. She received her primary education at SNAPS Preparatory School before attending
Wesley Girls' Senior High School from 1973 to 1978 for her GCE Ordinary-level. She then proceeded to
Aburi Girls' Senior High School
Aburi Girls' Senior High School, formerly Aburi Girls' Secondary School, also known as ABUGISS, is a Presbyterian senior high boarding school for girls located south of Aburi in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The brother school of Aburi Girls is ...
from 1978 to 1980 for her GCE Advanced-level.
Lovelace-Johnson went on to study law at the
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities.
The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...
,
Legon, starting in 1981. She later enrolled in the
Ghana School of Law in 1985, where she was called to the
Ghana Bar in 1987.
Career
After completing her legal education, Lovelace-Johnson began her National Service at the Attorney General's Office in
Koforidua
Koforidua, also popularly known as K-dua or Kofcity, is a city and the capital of Eastern Region in southern Ghana. Koforidua was founded in 1875 by migrants from Ashanti. It is also called New Juaben. The city has a settlement city proper popu ...
in 1988. She then worked as an Assistant State Attorney in the
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
Office from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1991, she served as a District Magistrate at the
Kibi
Kibi may refer to:
* kibi (binary prefix), an ISO/IEC standard binary prefix for units of digital information
* Kibi District, Okayama (吉備郡; -gun), a district in Okayama Prefecture, Japan
* Kibi, Wakayama (吉備町), a town in District, Wak ...
and
Tafo Magistrate Courts in the
Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to:
* Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain
*Eastern Region, Ghana
*Eastern Region (Iceland)
*Eastern Region, Nepal
*Eastern Region, Nigeria
* Eastern Region, Serbia
* Eastern Region, Uganda
* Eastern Region of ...
, before moving to the
La and 28th February Road Magistrate Courts in Accra, where she worked from 1991 to 1994.
Lovelace-Johnson was promoted to the sitting Circuit Court at the 28th February Road Courts from 1994 to June 2002. In 2002, she was elevated to the High Court of Ghana, where she served at the Accra and
Tema Division.
In October 2012, she was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal. From December 2005 to 2009, she was assigned as a Justice of the High Court of
The Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
on an assignment for the Commonwealth Secretariat,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, UK. During that period, she also worked as an additional Justice of the Court of Appeal as directed by the Chief Justice.
From October 2014 to October 2016, Justice Lovelace-Johnson served as the Director of the Public Complaints and Court Inspectorate Unit of the Judicial Service. She was also the Vice President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana from 2000 to 2002 and has held various positions with the
Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana
The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) is a volunteer-based non-governmental organization affiliated to International Planned Parenthood Federation, established in 1967. It provides Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in Ghana ...
.
Lovelace-Johnson had been a justice of the Court of Appeal until her nomination for the role of Supreme Court Judge in November 2019.
She was sworn into office on 17 December 2019.
See also
*
List of judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana
This is a list of the judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The Constitution of Ghana provides for the court to be made up of the Chief Justice of Ghana and not less than nine other Justices of the Supreme Court. It shall be duly constituted by a ...
*
Supreme Court of Ghana
The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive arms of government.1992 Constitution Article 125( ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovelace-Johnson, Avril
Date of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana
Ghanaian women judges
20th-century judges
21st-century judges
People educated at Wesley Girls' Senior High School
Alumni of Aburi Girls' Senior High School
University of Ghana alumni
20th-century women judges
21st-century women judges
1961 births