65 years ago today, on April 18, 1956, Sir Kobina Arku Korsah became the first African Chief Justice of the Gold Coast (Ghana).
After the Kulungugu attack on President Kwame Nkrumah in August 1962, Sir Arku Korsah presided over the trial of five defendants. At the end of that trial, three of the accused were found not guilty and this displeased the Nkrumah government. Nkrumah sacked Sir Arku as Chief Justice in December 1963 unconstitutionally.
Born in Saltpond, Sir Korsah was educated at Mfantsipim School, Fourah Bay College (BA degree in 1915), Durham University and London University (LLB in 1919). Korsah won the Cape Coast seat in the 1927 Gold Coast general election. He was one of nine Africans to be represented in the Legislative Assembly at the time. He was re-elected for the same seat in 1931 and 1935 general elections.
