Edmund Alexander Lanquaye Bannerman (22 July 1915 – 27 June 1983) was the

Chief Justice of Ghana The chief justice of Ghana is the highest-ranking judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The chief justice is also the head of the Judiciary of Ghana and is responsible for its administration and supervision. In order of state precedence, the chief ...

between 1970 and 1972. He was the fourth person to hold this position since

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

became an independent nation in 1957. He was removed from office by the

National Redemption Council The National Redemption Council (NRC) was the ruling Ghana military government from 13 January 1972 to 9 October 1975. Its chairman was Colonel I. K. Acheampong, who was thus also the head of state of Ghana. Duration of rule The NRC came into ...

, the military government in power after the coup of 13 January 1972 that ended the Second Republic of Ghana.

Biography

Edmund Lanquaye Bannerman was born in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) 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, , had a population of ...

, Gold Coast (now Ghana), on 22 July 1915. His father, Emmanuel Edmund Bannerman, was an organist and choirmaster of the Wesley Methodist Church in Accra. Bannerman attended

Mfantsipim School Mfantsipim School is an all-boys boarding secondary school in Cape Coast, Ghana, established by the Methodist Church in 1876 to foster intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth on the then Gold Coast. Its founding name was Wesleyan High Scho ...

where he was Senior Prefect in 1933. He was educated at Selwyn College,

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, in 1939, after which he entered private practice in Ghana. His later legal career encompassed being a senior lecturer at the

Ghana School of Law The Ghana School of Law (GSL) is an educational institution in Ghana for training lawyers. The school is the only institution responsible for training for law graduates in the Professional Law Course (PLC) programme and the Post-Call Law Course. ...

(1960–64), a visiting lecturer at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast ...

(1961–63), a High Court judge in

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

(1964–67), legal adviser to Ghana Police and

Ghana Airways Ghana Airways Limited was the flag carrier of Ghana, with its main base of operation and hub at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The airline ceased operations in 2004, although plans were discussed to revive it in 2020 in partnership with ...

(1967–70). He became a judge of the

Supreme Court of Ghana The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Constitution of Ghana, Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary of Ghana, Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive (governm ...

in 1970, and was appointed Chief Justice of Ghana in 1971, after being acting Chief Justice (1970–71). Bannerman died in Accra on 27 June 1983, at the age of 67.Edmund Alexander Languaye Bannerman in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
Ancestry United Kingdom.

References

1915 births 1983 deaths 20th-century Ghanaian judges Academic staff of Ghana School of Law Academic staff of the University of Ghana Members of Lincoln's Inn Alumni of Selwyn College, Cambridge Politicians from Accra Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana Ghanaian Methodists {{Ghana-law-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References