Efua Ghartey (nee Dickson) has been elected as the President of Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
It makes her the first female to occupy that position of the Ghana Bar Association,
Efua Gartey received 1,208 votes against that of Kwadzo Dzakpasu’s 1,060 votes at the Bar Conference in Kumasi.
She had participated in the election on two different occasions but lost to Tony Forson and Yaw Acheampong Boafo on both occasions.
She is the spouse of Joe Ghartey, Member of Parliament for Essikado Ketan in the Western Region and a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
She co-founded Ghartey & Ghartey with Joe Ghartey in 1994.
In her acceptance speech, the GBA President-elect promised to protect the legal profession, expressing her Joy to be elected the first female President of the Association.
“I am humbled and honoured to be the first female President of the Ghana Bar Association, this indeed is something new that the bar for the first time has entrusted leadership to the ladies.”
We shall make you proud. We shall make sure that you never regret this choice. What we ask for moving forward is that not only do you pray for us but also hold our hands,” she said.
“I pledge to work tirelessly to promote the interests of lawyers, to protect the rule of law, and to advance the cause of justice in Ghana.”
Profile
Efua Ghartey is a co-founder of Ghartey & Ghartey. She graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon and was called to the Bar in 1991.
She also has a Certificate in Basic and Advanced Securities from the Ghana Stock Exchange and a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution awarded jointly by the California State University, Sacramento Centre for African Peace and Conflict Resolution and the University of Ghana, Legon, Centre for International Affairs. Efua is a Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public.
Efua Ghartey is a member of the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) and has held several executive positions in FIDA (Ghana). She has actively participated in FIDA’s mediation, conciliation and settlement procedures.
Since 1992, she has served as Chairperson/Member/Secretary of several Boards and Organizations involved in various activities centred on children, education, aviation, export financing, media and publishing. Apart from serving on several committees of the Ghana Bar Association, she was a member of the National Executive of the Ghana Bar Association for ten years.
When the Chief Justice’s Annual Mentoring Programme was initiated in Ghana in 2007, she was the Moderator/ Speaker for 10 (ten) years.
Currently, she is the Immediate Past President of the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Bar Association, a position she held for 6 (six) years and was a member of the National Council of the Bar Association for a collective period of 16 (sixteen years)
As Head of Chambers at Ghartey & Ghartey, she oversees all the Firm’s practice areas.
She, however, focuses on Investment Law, Corporate Law, Corporate Litigation and Company Law. She also oversees the Firm’s Private Client practice directly.
She has considerable experience in litigation and has appeared before all the courts in Ghana, including the Supreme Court.
Efua Ghartey is also well-versed in the practice area of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and has served as Mediator in the Court-connected ADR system introduced at the Commercial Division of the High Courts on several occasions.
Efua Ghartey was the Chairperson of the Global Board of the United Bible Societies Worldwide from November 2016 to November 2019, after serving on the Global Board for seven (7) years.
Efua has also completed a six-year tenure as Chairperson of the Bible Society of Ghana after serving on the Board in Ghana for fifteen (15) years.
She served her term successfully as the Chairperson of the Board of World Vision Ghana after being the Vice Chair and a member for nine (9) years.