The Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office of Ghana is the government ministry responsible for the legal affairs of the Republic of Ghana. It drafts legislation, advises the executive, oversees state prosecutions, and represents the Government of Ghana in civil cases. The office of the Attorney General, established in 1877, serves as the principal legal adviser to the government. The modern Ministry of Justice was created in 1951 following recommendations of the Lidbury Commission.
The Ministry of Justice was created in 1951 after the Lidbury Commission reviewed the administration of the Gold Coast Civil Service and recommended a structure modelled on the British Home Office. The first head of the ministry was P. F. Branigan, an English expatriate.
In 1954, the Ministry of Justice was merged with the Ministry of Interior in the first all-African government. It re-emerged in 1956 as the Ministry of Interior and Justice under Ebenezer Ako-Adjei. Following GhanaâÂÂs independence in 1957, the ministry was again split, creating a separate Ministry of Justice and an independent Ministry for the Attorney General, led by Geoffrey Bing.
Between 1958 and 1961, the ministry was merged with Local Government under Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta. It became a standalone ministry again in September 1961 and was reunited with the Attorney-GeneralâÂÂs Ministry in 1965, forming the combined portfolio of Minister of Justice and Attorney General under Bashiru Kwaw-Swanzy.
In 2004, Mrs Regina Ayerko Apotsi became the first woman to serve as Judicial Secretary, the 13th person to hold the post.