Ghana

Abstract

No apology whatsoever need be made to the reader because this chronicle of legal events in Ghana during the year 1969 devotes so much attention to constitutional developments there, since this reflects local pre-occupations with the transition from military to civilian rule. Almost uniquely in Africa there was a planned surrender of power by the ruling military National Liberation Council [N.L.C.] to a constitutionally-elected civilian government; and, what is more important still, the originally announced timetable, which envisaged such a handing over by the end of September 1969, was adhered to despite various intermediate holdups, notably those caused by the slow progress of the Constituent Assembly's deliberations. This body had been charged with the task of debating, framing and enacting a new Republican Constitution for Ghana in the light of the report of the Constitutional Commission designated by the N.L.C. (the appointment of each of these bodies was discussed in detail in the Survey for 1968, q.v.). As the tale of events and achievements is complicated, it may be helpful if the framework is set out as a chronology below: 1957 The Gold Coast and Togoland became independent under the name of Ghana as a monarchy within the Commonwealth, with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as Prime Minister.