Most land holders in ghana hold their land through forms of customary tenure. As a result of internal and external pressures for a return to constitutional rule, the national commission for democracy ncd established by the provisional national defence council pndc carried out a series of public seminars and consultations. Constitution online constitute project organization pdf of constitution as amended to 1996. Download ghana constitution 1992 pdf bcfaf6891f ghana elects on national level a head of state, the president, and a legislature. The constitution 1 1 the sovereignty of ghana resides in the people of ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limits laid down in this constitution. Governance, land rights and access to land in ghana a. Importance of constitution significance of constitution. Ghana s constitution of 1992 with amendments through 1996.
Nonetheless, according to unesco, 2007 hundreds of millions of children tend to drop out of school each school passing year. Generally, however, a chief in ghana operates within a matrix of complex norms and. Since 1992, ghana has held four successful multiparty elections, with the fifth set of. In ghana, anticorruption laws are not found in one piece of legislation. The 1992 constitution of ghana is the supreme law of the state. Constitution thin the 18 centuryto be satisfactory arrangements for stable democratic governing. The role of traditional institutions in political change. Article 3 objectives the church and its mission we believe that the church is the body of christ, the habitation of. Ascertain from the people of ghana their views on the operation of the 1992 fourth republican constitution and, in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of the constitution. After over 30 years, the 1992 constitution and the local government act 462 of 1993 appears to provide a suitable basis to end ghana s struggle for the. Every activity was a religious exercise, and the individual was left to relate to his or her maker according to how it.
It defines the fundamental political principles, establishing the structure, procedures, powers and duties of the government, structure of the judiciary and legislature, and spells out the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. Ag ghana constitution pages 1 50 text version fliphtml5. The constitution of ghana is the supreme law of the republic of ghana. Article 12 demands from all absolute respect to uphold the fundamental human rights and freedoms as enshrined in the supreme law of the land. The constitution of the republic of ghana in the name of the almighty god we the people of ghana. In ghana, this position is guaranteed under the fourth republican constitution 1992. The 1992 constitution it declares ghana to be a unitary republic with sovereignty residing in the ghanaian people. Chairman of the committee of experts on the constitution. The united nations convention is the international standard required from states that ratify it. Adopted 1992 preamble in the name of the almighty god we the people of ghana, in exercise of our natural and inalienable right to establish a framework of government which shall.
Access to justice in ghana is enshrined in various provisions of the 1992 constitution. Below is the 1992 constitution of the r epublic of ghana, arranged by chapters. The role of district assemblies in strengthening links of accountability introduction ghana has, since independence struggled to establish a workable system of local level administration. The role of district assemblies in strengthening links of. Local governments in ghana play very important roles in administration and development at the local areas. The head of the local government institution is the minister who is charged with the responsibility of. The public services commission psc is the central management agency cma responsible for providing strategic policy guidance for human resource management in the public service organizations listed under article 190 1 of the 1992 constitution. Article 2 territory the territory of this church shall be the territory of ghana as defined by the 1992 constitution of ghana, and any other place outside ghana where the church may establish a branch as permitted by law. Ghanas constitution of 1992 with amendments through 1996. After the founding of a republic in 1960, the state became identified with a single political party the cpp, with nkrumah, as life president of both, taking ever more power for himself. Importance of constitution today, mostly every democratic country has a constitution which is a vital document, according to which the country carries out its operations.
The main stages in the evolution of the 1992 constitution. Nkrumah saw independent ghana as a spearhead for the liberation of the rest of africa from colonial rule and the establishment of a socialist african unity under his leadership. The structure of the ghanaian state is set out in the 1992 constitution. To ascertain from the good people of ghana their views on the operation of the 1992 constitution, in particular its strength and weakness. The 1992 constitution contains the most explicit and comprehensive provisions in ghanas postcolonial constitutional history regarding the system of local government as a decentralized form of national administration. Chieftaincy is indeed important to the people of ghana. The main issues were the reintroduction of multiparty politics and the division of powers between the president and parliament there were 8,255,690 registered voters for the referendum. Telecommunications in ghana include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the internetintended for a.
Drawn up with the intent of preventing future coups, dictatorial government, and oneparty states, it is designed to foster tolerance and the concept of powersharing. Under this policy, ever ghanaian child who attains the pass mark, as agreed for the year by ghana education service council, will enjoy a threeyear scholarship for secondary education. Since the first republican constitution in 1960, ghana has had three other constitutions. The earlier constitutions can be located in the historic. Constitution of ghana wikisource, the free online library. This means that no other law in ghana would supersede this documents authority and if any legislation is enacted that conflicts with the constitution, that legislation would be declared, unconstitutional article 12. The constitution of ghana 1992 states that the sovereignty of ghana resides in the people of ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised. Constitution of the republic of ghana amendment act, 1996. Constitutions can express the identity and values of a national community. Social context religion was always and is still, to a large extent, an integral part of the lifestyle of the african in the traditional environment. What are the sources of law in ghana 1992 constitution. An overview congressional research service 2 this is perhaps, in part, because experience has suggested mass democracy and legislative supremacytwo at the time untested concepts that concerned the framers of the u. Supremacy of the constitution 1 the sovereignty of ghana resides in the people of ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limits laid down in this constitution.
The 1992 constitution of the republic of ghana provides for decentralisation and local government that creates a framework for citizens participation in decisionmaking and local governance. The work of the committee of experts on the 1992 constitution. The 1992 fourth republican constitution of ghana gives credence to the system under chapter 20 with the title decentralization and local government. The study would therefore address the role of the supreme court in the development of constitutional law in ghana, with particular emphasis on the courts contribution to the underlying concepts of the fourth republican constitution of 1992. One chief weakness observed is that the constitution makes the executive president too powerful without t. Constitution protects the rights of the citizens of a concerned nation, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, sex or physical appearance. A referendum on a new constitution was held in ghana on 28 april 1992. Whenever it becomes necessary for the constitution to be printed the government printer may omit all parts of this decree and the constitution as so printed shall, subject to the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this decree have the force of law notwith w standing. Being sovereign, the nation must ensure that its actions are in accordance. Their continuing influence rests upon the following economic, sociocultural and political factors. Article 17 of the 1992 republican constitution of ghana provides that all persons shall be equal before the law, and further that a person shall not be discriminated against inter alia on grounds of gender, ethnic origin, social or economic status. As nationbuilding instruments, constitutions may define the. Many a times we say ghana practices separation of powers but taking a look to the 1992 constitution i ask myself, do we truly practice this concept. The free shs policy aims to take out the element of cost as a barrier to education.
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