Retired Supreme Court judge, Julius Ansah has died

His Lordship Justice Julius Ansah, a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, is reportedly dead.

According to asaaseradio.com, the former Supreme Court judge, who retired in 2020, died at the age of 74.

The late Justice Ansah, who joined the Bench as a District Magistrate Grade II in 1979, served for over 41 years as a judge.

He rose through the ranks at the Bench, serving as a Circuit Court, High Court, and Supervising High Court judge.

In 1999, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal. Five years after becoming a justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ansah was appointed a justice of the apex court of the land, the Supreme Court of Ghana. He once served as the acting Chief Justice of Ghana.

During his retirement in 2020, the then Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Anin Yeboah, praised Justice Ansah for his personality and professionalism; adding that his departure is a great loss to the Bench.

“Since his very first days on the Bench as a Magistrate some 41 years ago, Justice Julius Ansah has displayed modesty and honesty and demonstrated tremendous insight and excellence.

“These qualities have shown themselves in his work across the length and breadth of our country in the Lower Court through to the High Court – from Assin Fosu to Wenchi, Hohoe, Agona Swedru, Tamale and Sekondi and to the Court of Appeal and eventually onto the Supreme Court,” former Chief Justice Anin Yeboah is quoted to have said.

About Justice Julius Ansah

Justice Julius Ansah began working at the Attorney-General’s Department in Koforidua as a National Service Person after he was called to the Bar. He joined the Bench as a District Magistrate Grade II in 1979. He first worked at Assin Fosu in the Central Region for two years and was promoted to District Magistrate Grade I in 1981.

In 1986, he was promoted to the Circuit Court and subsequently to the High Court in 1989. His first station as a Justice of the High Court was Tamale in the Northern Region where he also served as the Supervising High Court Judge.

Justice Julius Ansah was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1999 and rose to the apex court of the land as a Justice of the Supreme Court in 2004.

His career was one of service to his country, having occupied various positions and played diverse roles, which include serving on the General Legal Council and the Judicial Council, acting as Director of the Public Complaints Unit & Inspectorate Unit, as well as acting as Chief Justice at some point in time.

On his retirement, the Judicial Service held a brief but memorable ceremony at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra in appreciation of his selfless and invaluable contribution to justice delivery in Ghana. Justice Ansah was presented with a citation, a long service award and a retirement package.