Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong
Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong | |
|---|---|
| High Court judge | |
| In office 1977–1982 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong November 1926 Oyoko, Ashanti Region, Gold Coast |
| Died | 30 June 1982 (aged 55) Accra, Ghana |
| Cause of death | Murder (gunshot wound) |
Buried | |
| Spouse | Comfort Agyapong |
| Children | 10 including King's College, London |
| Occupation | Ghanaian High court judge |
| Known for |
|
| Monuments | Memorial to the Martyrs of the Rule of Law in front of the Supreme Court of Ghana buildings |
Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong was a Ghanaian judge and one of the murdered judges that were abducted on 30 June 1982.[1][2]
Early life and education
Born in
Career
Following his studies at Wesley College, Agyapong returned to Mfantsipim School to teach. Amongst his students at the time were Joseph W.S. de Graft-Johnson (former Vice-President of Ghana) and Isaac Kobina Abban (former Chief Justice of Ghana).[3][4] He also had teaching stints at the Ghana National College, the Accra Academy, and Accra High School.[3]
After completing his legal studies in the United Kingdom, Agyapong returned to Ghana in 1961 to begin private legal practice.[3][4][5] He later founded a law firm together with his friend, Kwabena Adu-Tutu Amankwah at Adum in Kumasi.[3]
Following recommendations from the presiding judge of the Ashanti Region and the Ghana Judicial Council, Agyapong was made a justice of the High Court in 1977.[3] In 1980, he made history by being the only High Court judge to sit on the then transitional Supreme Court bench in the hearing of the historical constitutional case between the then People's National Party (PNP) government and Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor.[3][4]
In May 1979, he was appointed chairman of the Committee of Enquiry that investigated the case of the Accra Railway shooting incident that saw the death of a second-year student of
Personal life
Agyapong was married to Mrs. Comfort Agyapong.[3][6] His last child was three months old at the time of his abduction.[7] He was the father of Kwabena Agyapong, the former secretary of the New Patriotic Party.[7]
Abduction and death
Agyapong was one of the four people (together with Justice
Legacy
Agyapong, like his three compatriots, had their lives and careers abruptly ended by their untimely deaths on June 30, 1982. In the forecourt of the Supreme Court premises, three busts have been erected in honour of the three High Court Judges as a perpetual memorial of their judicial careers and sacrifice. On Justice Agyapong's bust are inscribed the following words:
"Justice Agyapong will be remembered for his simple and unassuming manner. His prodigious capacity and love for Judicial work and his abhorrence for violence. He was a committed father, husband and judge. May the soul of justice Agyei Kwadwo Agyapong rest in peace."[3]
References
- ^ "k a agyapong - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ISBN 978-9988-8142-0-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Martyrs Day: Biography of late Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, retrieved 2022-08-06
- ^ a b c d e f "Lest We Forget = So That We Don't Forget". DailyGuide Network. 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ Review of Ghana Law. General Legal Council. 1982.
- ^ Persons), Ghana Special Investigation Board (Kidnapping and Killing of Specified (1983). Final Report of the Special Investigation Board (Kidnapping and Killing of Specified Persons). Ghana Publishing Corporation.
- ^ a b "Judge murders: Kwabena Agyapong recounts how his father was abducted". GhanaWeb. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ISBN 978-9988-0-0900-7.