FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE SOPHIA AKUFFO RESIGNS FROM COUNCIL OF STATE

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has resigned from Ghana's Council of State, in a development that removes one of the country's most distinguished legal and judicial figures from the advisory body that serves as a constitutional consultative institution to the President of the Republic.

GhanaWeb reported the resignation on June 16, 2026, confirming that Akuffo, who served as Chief Justice of Ghana from 2017 to 2021 and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished jurists in the country's post-independence history, has stepped down from the Council of State role she held following her retirement from the judiciary. The specific reasons for her departure were not publicly detailed in initial reporting, though resignations from the Council of State - a body whose members serve at various stages by virtue of prior office or presidential appointment - are relatively rare and tend to attract significant public interest.

The Council of State, established under Article 89 of Ghana's 1992 Constitution, serves as a consultative body that the President may consult on matters of national importance. Its membership includes former heads of state, former chief justices, the president of the National House of Chiefs, and other eminent citizens, giving it a cross-institutional character that is intended to provide the executive with experienced, non-partisan counsel.

Justice Akuffo's tenure as Chief Justice was notable for several landmark judgements and for her vocal advocacy on gender equality in Ghana's legal system. She was the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of Ghana, a historic distinction that gave her career additional symbolic importance beyond its jurisprudential contributions.

The Ghana Bar Association, which has maintained strong institutional relationships with former senior judicial officers, acknowledged the significance of her service. Legal scholars from the University of Ghana School of Law and GIMPA Faculty of Law have frequently cited Akuffo's judgements in academic commentary on Ghanaian constitutional and human rights law.

Sources: GhanaWeb, 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Ghana Bar Association, University of Ghana School of Law, Council of State Secretariat