| Intro | Ghanaian judgr |
| Is |
Judge Lawyer Educator |
| From |
Ghana |
| Type |
Academia Law |
| Gender | female |
Akua Kuenyehia (born 1947) is a Ghanaian lawyer who served a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2003 to 2015. She also served as First Vice-President of the Court. She was one of the only three female African judges at the ICC.
Kuenyehia represented Ghana on the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee in 2003 and worked hard to contribute to its reputation and influence.
Education and early career
Kuenyehia was educated at University of Ghana and Oxford University. She has spent most of her professional career teaching at the University of Ghana, as Dean of Law, and as a visiting professor at other institutions including Leiden University and Temple University. She is the President of Mountcrest University College, Ghana. The Law Faculty Building at the University of Ghana, Legon, was named in joint honour of President John Atta Mills and Professor Kuenyehia.
Judge of the International Criminal Court, 2003-2015
In March 2009, judges chose Kuenyehia as well as Anita Ušacka of Latvia for appeals positions. Three months later, both of them had to step down from an appeal in the case of Germain Katanga of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, because they had previously issued his arrest warrant.
Books
- Women and Law in West Africa (2003). Accra, Ghana, WaLWA. ISBN 9988-7874-1-3
- With Butegwa, F., & S. Nduna (2000). Legal Rights Organizing for Women in Africa: A Trainer’s Manual. Harare, Zimbabwe, WiLDAF. ISBN 0-7974-2082-7
- With Bowman, C. G. (2003). Women and Law in Sub-Saharan Africa. Accra, Ghana: Sedco. ISBN 9964-72-235-4.
Recognition
In 2013, the University of Ghana named a newly constructed faculty of law building after Kuenyehia.