BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Georgina Theodora Wood (born 8 June, 1947) is a judge and also a former police prosecution officer. She is the Chief Justice of Ghana and the first woman to occupy that position.[1]
Early life and education
Georgina Wood (née Lutterodt) was born on June 8, 1947 in Ghana.[2] She had her basic education at Bishop’s Girls and Methodist Schools, Dodowa. She next attended Mmofraturo Girls School, Kumasi between 1958 and 1960. Georgina Wood's secondary education was at Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast, which she completed in 1966. She proceeded to the University of Ghana,Legon, where she was awarded the LL.B. in 1970.[2] Georgina Wood then attended the Ghana Law School after which she was called to the bar. She has also done the Post-Graduate Officers Training Course at the Ghana Police College.[2]
Career
Georgina Wood worked with the Ghana Police Service as a deputy superintendent and public prosecutor for three years.[2] She later joined the Judicial Service as a District Magistrate in 1974. She rose through the Circuit and High Courts to become the presiding judge of the Appeal Court in 1991.[2] She was appointed to the Supreme Court by President John Kufuor on 12 November 2002,[3] an appointment she had earlier declined.[2] She was nominated for the position of Chief Justice of Ghana in May 2007.[3] On 1 June 2007,the Parliament of Ghana approved her nomination as the new Chief Justice of Ghana by consensus.[4] As at June 2007, this made her the first woman in the history of Ghana to head the Judiciary and also made her at the time, the highest ranked female in Ghana's political history; that rank was surpassed by the appointment of Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo as Speaker of the 5th Parliament of Ghana's 4th Republic in January 2009. Chief Justice Wood assumed office on 15 June 2007. Since taking office, she has sworn-in three Presidents, the late President John Evans Atta-Mills in January 2009, then Vice-President John Dramani Mahama upon the death of the President on 24 July 2012 and President-Elect John Dramani Mahama, winner of the December 2012 General Elections on 7th January 2013.[5]
Georgina Wood committee
The Georgina Wood committee was set up on July 4, 2006 to investigate the disappearance from a shipping vessel MV Benjamin of 77 packets of cocaine on April 26, 2006. It was also to investigate an alleged 200,000 dollars bribe paid to senior police officers by a lady linked to a Venezuelan drug baron,[6] and also the 588 kg of cocaine seized at Mempeasem, East Legon from the Venezuelans.[3]
Honours
On July 7, 2007, Georgina Wood was decorated with the Order of the Star of Ghana, the nation's highest honour. She was presented by President John Kufuor.[7]
Other roles
Georgina Wood is a choir leader at the Ringway Gospel Centre Assemblies of God Church, Accra. She is also the Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution in Ghana.[3]She has also served as a member of the Kenya Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board.[8]
Family
Georgina Wood is married to Edwin Wood, a retired banker.[9]
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