Verified legal and institutional developments from Ghana, Africa and the wider world, presented for public understanding.
On 21 August 2026 the Supreme Court dismissed an injunction seeking to halt several high‑profile criminal cases during the legal‑vacation period, permitting the proceedings to continue while a broader constitutional challenge to the Chief Justice’s deployment of judges remains pending.
Read news story →On 3 September 2026 Ghana’s Supreme Court upheld the Chief Justice’s warrants that allow a limited number of criminal courts to sit during the two‑month legal vacation, dismissing a constitutional review filed by MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Read news story →The Ghanaian Supreme Court dismissed a review petition filed by former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, reinforcing the narrow scope of its review jurisdiction and clarifying procedural limits on interlocutory injunctions during legal vacations.
Read news story →The Accra High Court refused to defer the NAFCO trial until October while a stay application is pending, but allowed a shorter adjournment on counsel’s medical reports.
Read news story →On 29 July 2026, the Supreme Court of Ghana delivered a landmark judgment invalidating the delegate-based system that political parties have traditionally used to select their presidential and parliamentary candidates. The Court ruled that restricting the right to vote in internal party primaries to a small cohort of delegates and officials violated the constitutional guarantee of universal political participation found in Article 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution.
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On 17 September 2026 the Constitutional Court struck down the entire Public Procurement Act, ruling that Parliament had breached its constitutional duty to facilitate meaningful public participation during the bill's passage.
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Ghana's Chief Justice says a new High Court Civil Procedure Rule 2026 is designed to accelerate the hearing of civil cases, marking a procedural reform aimed at reducing case backlogs.
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The Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled that property acquired in a childs name is presumed to be a gift to that child under the common-law presumption of advancement, and that a donor-parents later management of the asset does not defeat the presumption.
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A Kenyan High Court ruling on 21 September 2026 prevents Parliament from reducing a former president's retirement benefits, raising questions about the limits of legislative authority over executive compensation.
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The Supreme Court of Ghana delivered a unanimous decision confirming that the Office of the Special Prosecutor operates within constitutional boundaries, resolving a challenge to its prosecutorial mandate under Act 959.
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The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on 11 September 2026 that the Charter right to a trial within a reasonable time extends to sentencing but must be assessed on a case-by-case basis rather than through a fixed presumptive ceiling.
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The Accra Court of Appeal annulled a 2022 High Court land judgment, finding the trial judge's prior role as Chief Registrar of Lands created a real likelihood of bias.
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A legal researcher has petitioned Ghana's Supreme Court to strike down the annual two-month judicial vacation of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, arguing the practice denies citizens timely access to justice and violates constitutional guarantees of a fair hearing within a reasonable time.
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Ghana's lawmakers have passed a bill creating a dedicated statutory regime for virtual-asset service providers, marking a shift from an informal regulatory approach to a codified licensing and oversight framework.
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In a ruling on 21 August 2026, the Supreme Court of Ghana dismissed an injunction that sought to prohibit the High Court from conducting criminal trials during the legal vacation, confirming that the Chief Justice's warrants are a lawful exercise of constitutional authority.
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The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Sept. 1, 2026 that Dutch appellate courts breached Article 6 by overturning an acquittal and convicting two men without directly hearing the witness whose evidence was decisive, underscoring procedural safeguards in criminal appeals.
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The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Sept. 3, 2026 that Latvia did not violate Article 4 of the European Convention when domestic authorities opened and pursued criminal inquiries into allegations that a worker had been subjected to servitude or forced labour on a dairy farm.
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A Grand Chamber judgment of the European Court of Human Rights held on 25 August 2026 that Türkiye violated multiple Convention rights in the long-running prosecution and conviction of civil‑society figure Osman Kavala, and concluded the state must secure his release and remove the effects of the conviction.
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Kenya’s High Court dismissed a constitutional challenge to the Judicial Service Commission’s 2026 Vetting and Integrity Regulations, clearing the way for expanded vetting of judges and magistrates while the case may still be appealed to the Court of Appeal.
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Mozambique’s Constitutional Council has declared multiple provisions of the government’s 2025 telecommunications traffic‑control decree unconstitutional, removing regulatory powers that would have allowed automatic network shutdowns and broad surveillance duties for operators.
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In a August 14, 2026 judgment, South Africa’s Constitutional Court clarified when courts may suspend or set aside administrative decisions approving mineral exploration rights — emphasising a remedial approach focused first on effective vindication of affected rights and second on equitable countervailing considerations.
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On 21 August 2026 the Supreme Court dismissed an interlocutory application seeking to halt High Court criminal trials scheduled under administrative warrants for the 2026 legal vacation, holding the applicant had not shown a sufficient case for interlocutory relief.
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President John Dramani Mahama on 26 August 2026 signed the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 as part of a package of ten laws. The Act replaces the 1984 framework for COCOBOD and embeds commitments on local processing and a guaranteed share of world‑price receipts for cocoa farmers, triggering regulatory and enforcement changes across the cocoa value chain.
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President John Dramani Mahama swore in three new Supreme Court justices on 11 September 2026, increasing the court’s complement to 17. The appointments were presented as a step to strengthen the apex court’s capacity and protect judicial independence.
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President John Dramani Mahama has assented to the Tribunals Bill, 2026, reviving a tiered tribunal system aimed at speeding adjudication of administrative and specified criminal and financial cases while raising questions about judicial independence and oversight.
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The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled on 25 August 2026 that Turkey must immediately release civil society figure Osman Kavala, quash his conviction and provide effective redress for multiple human-rights violations arising from prolonged detention and trial defects.
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On 2 August 2026 the European Commission’s AI Office and national authorities began enforcing core parts of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, activating new transparency requirements that require AI systems to disclose interaction with users and mark AI-generated content.
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In a 31 August 2026 ruling the Constitutional Court limited aspects of a judicial commission’s power to compel evidence and clarified standards for inquiries into alleged interference with prosecutions, reinforcing constitutional checks on investigatory reach and protecting fair‑trial rights.
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A Tanzanian High Court held that judgments of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights cannot be registered and enforced under Tanzania’s Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act; the decision highlights a legal gap between regional human‑rights remedies and domestic enforcement mechanisms.
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A Malawi High Court judge granted bail to civil‑society leader Sylvester Namiwa on August 21, 2026, and ordered the state to disclose its evidence within seven days, underscoring judicial concern over arrests used to silence critics.
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A Malindi High Court judge has ruled the constitutionally correct date for Kenya’s next presidential election is the second Tuesday of August 2026, but suspended immediate effect of the declaration to avoid destabilising the country.
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Parliament has moved to strengthen Ghana’s maritime legal framework with the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026 — a legislative package aimed at modernising offences, penalties and enforcement powers to tackle piracy, trafficking and other sea‑borne crimes as the country positions itself as a regional maritime hub.
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The President signed the Community Service Act as part of a package of laws on 26 August 2026, creating a statutory framework for community‑based sentences intended to reduce prison overcrowding and provide courts with alternatives to short custodial terms.
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The National Communications Authority has announced the three qualified applicants that will proceed to the next stage of a competitive process to allocate 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 3 GHz licences for 5G-capable mobile broadband — a move that shifts the matter from technical qualification to legal, financial and public‑interest scrutiny under the NCA’s licensing rules.
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A new Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime, launched in August 2026, seeks legal reforms and practical protections — including non‑punishment, screening, and expanded legal aid — for young Ghanaians returned from online recruitment and trafficking networks.
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A single-justice ruling dismisses an interim injunction and upholds Chief Justice warrants authorising selected High Court judges to continue criminal trials during the August–September legal vacation, clearing a procedural logjam and raising questions about access to timely justice and judicial administration.
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July 2026 developments at the ICC — including removal of the court’s chief prosecutor and scrutiny of prosecutorial conduct — triggered legal and institutional review about procedure, accountability and victims’ rights.
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In August 2026 the US Department of Justice finalised a regulation narrowing agency reliance on informal guidance documents for enforcement — a rule that raises questions about separation of powers and administrative procedure.
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A 25 August 2026 Kenyan High Court decision tightened requirements for speedy hearing of habeas applications and clarified limits on police detention powers, reinforcing safeguards against unlawful custody.
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In late July 2026 Chad announced plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, a move with legal and diplomatic consequences for international criminal justice and domestic accountability mechanisms.
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On 2026-07-23 judges at the ICC approved prosecutors’ request to discontinue charges against Abdallah Banda, citing insufficient evidence for trial — a notable procedural decision in long-running Darfur investigations.
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A Ghana Court of Appeal ruling in August 2026 narrowed the circumstances for judicial intervention in administrative agency decisions, refining judicial-review standards and procedural expectations.
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The President signed the Tribunals Bill into law in late August 2026 and set a timeline for institution-building — shifting the access-to-justice landscape and triggering administrative rulemaking and appointments.
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Parliament approved a law strengthening protection of cocoa farms, introducing criminal sanctions for unauthorised conversion of cocoa land — a move with major implications for agricultural rights, land law and rural communities.
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Parliament passed the Tribunals Bill on August 2026 to restore statutory tribunals, establish oversight structures and speed dispute resolution — a significant institutional reform aimed at reducing court backlog and expanding access to administrative justice.
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