AWLA Marks 40 Years PNDC Law 111, Renews Call for Reform

Published November 28, 2025

The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA)- Ghana has marked the 40th anniversary of the Intestate Succession Law with a renewed call for action for an amendment of PNDC Law 111- one of Ghana’s consequential legislation on succession.

Enacted in 1985, PNDC Law 111, reshaped how properties of persons who die without leaving a will are to be distributed. Before then, customary laws and practices which dictated distribution of deceased person estate disadvantaged spouses and children whiles members of the extended family of deceased benefited.The law, clearly delineated properties to beneficiaries especially spouses and children while limiting in a reasonable way the “lot” of the extended family to a deceased person’s estate.

In a statement issued on November 17, 2025, AWLA reemphasized the continued relevance of PNDC Law 111 and its role in ensuring fairness and equity in succession matters. They noted that, the law , over four decades has brought sanity in succession and has helped to safeguard spousal rights-a move which dovetails with the intent of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

AWLA-Ghana further called on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to collaborate with the office of Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice to spearhead a campaign to educate Ghanaians on the need to write wills and plan their estates proactively.

Concluding their statement, AWLA encourages the State to consolidate the gains made by the Intestate Succession Law after 40 years of it’s existence, noting that no individual should end up with nothing because of the loopholes in the existing law.

This effort by AWLA fits into its primary mission to advance gender fairness and justice. As stakeholders reflect on the four decades of PNDC Law 111, the call to action for its amendment has never felt more urgent.