After 10 years, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Ghana branch officially launched
Members in Ghana by an application dated June 4, 2021, again expressed their interest in the formation of the Ghana branch, which was subsequently approved on September 24, 2021, by the Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at Bloomsbury Square, London.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Ghana branch was officially inaugurated on Tuesday in Accra, marking about 10 years or more since the passing of a resolution to establish a Ghana chapter.
Talks for the establishment of a Ghana chapter particularly began between 2009 and 2016, through a series of meetings between officials of the Nigerian branch and Ghana members of the Chartered Insitute of Arbitrators UK.
According to Supreme Court judge, Justice Nene Amegatcher, these meetings ended up in a resolution passed on September 28th, 2011, where a decision was reached to form a Ghana branch, in accordance with the institute’s guidelines for setting up a branch. Additionally, a steering committee was set up, chaired by Sam Okudzeto, with Justice Nene Amegatcher (who was a lawyer at the time), Mr. Felix Nkrakwah, and other lawyers as members.
“This resolution was forwarded to the chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Nigerian branch. As required by the Institute, the resolution was signed by 40 persons, some in academia, the legal profession, the medical profession, arbiters, the security services, and engineers, contractors, and accountants among others, who all are chartered with the Institute.
Unfortunately, when the resolution was presented to the Chartered Institute through the Nigerian branch, it was the case that some of the people, though chartered, had not paid their subscription, and therefore were technically not members of the Institue. The resolution fell through at that stage because we could not raise the minimum of 40 people. This challenge continued because many of the Ghanaians could not convince their bankers at the time, to transfer their subscription to the Institute in the UK,” said Justice Nene Amegatcher, who gave the keynote speech at the launch in Accra yesterday.
“Our zeal to see this day was deflated, between 2016 and 2018, where we wondered again, in the wilderness, not knowing what to do. It was a moment of joy, where in 2019, two young arbitrators walked into my chambers, and gave me the good news that they had gathered the number of their colleagues, who had chartered, and ready to support the reign of the Ghana chapter of the Institute. I gave my whole support to the initiative. It is the dynamism of these young arbitrators, who I have prophesized in April 2015, who led us to the promise land, which has brought all of us to this history-making launch,” he said.
Some of these young arbitrators he talks about include Thaddeus Sory, Michael Gyang Owusu, Nania Owusu Ankomah Sackey, Kwadowo Nkrakwah, Bobby Banson, and others who now form the interim committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Ghana chapter.
Members in Ghana by an application dated June 4, 2021,again expressed their interest in the formation of the Ghana branch, which was subsequently approved on September 24, 2021, by the Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at Bloomsbury Square, London.
The Ghana branch will be under the auspices of the Nigerian branch.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators is viewed as the primary arbitration training provider in Africa. The parent body in the UK was founded in 1915 and currently has members in 150 countries.
