Joyce Bamford-Addo

Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, JSC (born 26 March 1937) is a Ghanaian barrister and judge who served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana from 2009 to 2013. The Speaker's position is the third most important in Ghana. She was previously a Supreme Court Judge. Following her appointment to the Supreme Court bench, she became the first woman to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.[1] She was also the first woman to be elected Speaker in such a position in the West African sub-region. Her active campaign for women's empowerment was demonstrated in many workshops.[2][3][4]

The Right Honourable Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo JSC
Bamford-Addo in parliament
Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana 4th Speaker of the Fourth Republic
In office 7 January 2009 – 6 January 2013
President	John Evans Atta-Mills (2009-12) John Dramani Mahama (2012)
Vice President	John Dramani Mahama (2009-12) Kwesi Amissah-Arthur (2012)
Preceded by	Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes
Succeeded by	Edward Adjaho
Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana
In office 19 November 1991 – October 2004
Appointed by	Jerry Rawlings
President	Jerry Rawlings (1991-2001) John Kufuor (2001-2009)
Personal details
Born	(1937-03-26) 26 March 1937 Accra, Gold Coast
Nationality	Ghanaian
Alma mater	Holy Child High School, Ghana Inner Temple
Profession	Judge Barrister
Known for	First woman Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana First woman Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana

Early life and education

Born in 1937 to an English father and a Ghanaian mother from Aburi, Joyce Bamford-Addo attended St. Mary’s Boarding School and OLA Boarding School along with her sister Cynthia in Cape Coast for her basic education. She subsequently attended Holy Child School, also in Cape Coast for her secondary education. She proceeded to the United Kingdom for legal training. She joined the Inner Temple to train under the apprenticeship system known as Inns of court and was called to the English Bar in 1961.[5]

Judicial service

Bamford-Addo returned to Ghana after working in the UK for a year. She was called to the Ghana Bar in 1962.[6] She worked as a State Attorney from 1963 and rose to become Chief State Attorney in 1973. She was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 1976, a position she held for 10 years. She was also appointed by Jerry Rawlings as a Supreme Court Judge in 1991. Becoming the first female justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.[1] She retired from the Supreme Court in October 2004 when she was bypassed, allegedly, for her junior, Justice George Kingsley Acquah, in the appointment of Chief Justice.[7]

Politics

In 1991, Bamford-Addo became the Second Deputy Speaker of Ghana's Consultative Assembly, set up to draft what became the 1992 constitution. Following the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections, she was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.[8]

See also

• Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana
• List of judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana
• Supreme Court of Ghana

References

1. Vieta, K. T. (1999). The Flagbearers of Ghana: Profiles of One Hundred Distinguished Ghanaians, Volume 1. Ena Publications. p. 273.
2. "Profile of Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo". Modern Ghana. 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
3. "Grandma Joyce is Historic Speaker". Ghanaian Chronicle. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
4. Cynthia Boakye (8 January 2009). "Ghana records another first. Justice Bamford Addo is first Female Speaker". Business News. Statesman Online. Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
5. "The Speaker - Rt. Hon. Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo". Parliament of Ghana. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
6. "Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo , Ex- Speaker of Parliament". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
7. "CV of the new Speaker". Ghana Web. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
8. "Fifth Parliament makes history". Ghana Web. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.

External links

• Profile on Parliament of Ghana website

Political offices
Preceded by Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes	Speaker of Ghanaian Parliament 2009–13	Succeeded by Edward Adjaho