July 26, 2024
The University of Professional Studies (UPSA) School of Law on Thursday 25th July 2024 celebrated the lifetime achievements of eminent statesman and legal scholar, Nana Dr. S.K.B Asante (Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore and Former Director of the United Nations Center on Transnational Corporation.
The event, the second of such honours aims at celebrating legal excellence and service towards national development and commitment to international duties. The first was in honour of Professor S.K Date-Baah, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
The occasion was graced by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude S. Torkornoo, Supreme Court Justices and other Senior Justices of the Superior Court. The event was also attended by members of the Legal fraternity, students and the general public.
In her keynote speech, the Chief Justice commended the selection committee of the UPSA Law School for their continuous display of the highest standards of choice of the honouree for the award. She expressed deep admiration and appreciation for the honourees significant accomplishments. That the accomplishments of Dr S.K.B Asante have not only impacted the legal and traditional scene in Ghana as an Omanhene but have also influenced the international legal community. She also compared the honouree to the great men and women she read about in her youth, who were featured in the book “Makers of Civilization”.
For his part, Dr. S.K.B Asante expressed deep gratitude, firstly to the Chief Justice for her moving speech and recounted the various lectures, symposia, and legal events where he encountered the Chief Justice and gained appreciation for her in-depth knowledge of the law. He also thanked the President, whose speech was read by the Honorable Attorney General and Minister for Justice. He shared profound memories and the impact that the honouree had made in the President’s life, expressing appreciation for him. He thanked the Dean of the Faculty of Law, UPSA, for the wonderful citation.
Born on 11th May 1933 the honouree, from a humble beginning at Asokore Mampong Methodist School, attended Prempeh College and Achimota School. By dint of hard work, Dr. Asante proceeded to study Law at Nottingham University and then to University of London for his advanced legal studies. In 1965, Dr S.K.B Asante completed his Doctor of Judicial Science from the prestigious Yale University in Connecticut, USA. He was called to the Ghana bar in 1960.
After a stint in the United Kingdom as an Assistant Solicitor, Dr Asante returned to Ghana to serve as an Assistant State Attorney at the Ministry of Justice. He then served in various capacities at faculty of Law, University of Ghana and the Ghana Law Reform Committee. It is noteworthy that the honouree was also the Acting Attorney General of Ghana from July-September 1974.
On the international front, he has been involved in international arbitration: settling disputes involving the Government of Ghana and other Institutions. Dr Asante has over 70 publications to his credit spanning areas such as Constitutional law, Human Rights, Good Governance, Negotiating Foreign Investments among others.
Clearly the professional accomplishments and dedication to the principles of justice make Dr. S.K.B Asante a deserving recipient of the Honoricfic award. Therefore, the celebration of his achievements by the UPSA law school was laudable. The legal community and society as a whole are fortunate to have had his contributions.
Kwasi Twum Agyapong Esq and Valerie-Lydia Asamoah Esq contributed to this article.
