George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{short description|Ghanaian attorney and jurist}}
{{Infobox Judge
| honorific-prefix =
| name = George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
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|constituency_MP =
|parliament =
|majority =
|term_start =
|term_end = 1
|predecessor =
|successor =
|order 2 =
|office2 = 12th Attorney General of Ghana
|term_start2 = 1982
|term_end2 = 1988
|president2 = Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings
|predecessor2 = A. L. Djabatey
|successor2 = Emmanuel Gyekye Tanoh
| birth_date ={{Birth date|df=yes|1923|09|02}}
| birth_name = George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins
| birth_place = Gold Coast
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|04|17|1923|09|02}}
|death_place =
| office3 = Supreme Court Judge
| term_start3 = 20 February 1990
| term_end3 = 2 September 1998
| appointer3 = Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| nationality = Ghanaian
| education = Mfantsipim School
| alma_mater = {{hlist|Ghana School of Law|University of London}}
| nickname =
}}
George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins (born 2 September 1923; died 17 April 2013[https://books.google.com/books?id=ezjWY2qnr2AC&dq=George+Emmanuel+Kwesi+Aikins&pg=PA50 "1st Anniversary in the cherished memory of a patriarch for all seasons his lordship Justice George Emmanuel Kwesi Aikins," Daily Graphic, Issue 19437, p. 50, 17 April 2014. @Google Books] Retrieved 19 December 2022.) was a lawyer and politician. He served as Attorney General and secretary for JusticeGNA,[https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Aikins-backs-Tsikata-at-NRC-sitting-53874 "Aikins backs Tsikata at NRC sitting"], Ghanaweb, 15 March 2004.GNA,[https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Tsatsu-Tsikata-cross-examines-Justice-Aikins-at-NRC-60169 "Tsatsu Tsikata cross-examines Justice Aikins at NRC"], Ghanaweb, 21 June 2004. of Ghana during the PNDC government. He also served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana in the fourth republic.{{cite web|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200403160237.html |title=Ghana: I Was Not Satisfied With the Evidence of Amartey Kwei – G. E. K. Aikins |publisher=AllAfrica |accessdate=10 May 2019}}
Early life and education
Aikins was born on 2 September 1923.
His early education begun in 1934 at Ahmadiya Primary School. In 1942 he was sent to the African Methodist Episcopal School at Cape Coast, he studied there for a year. He had private studies and part-time studies as well. He is alleged to have been a member of the students that rioted against the arrest of the big six in 1948 as a student of Mfantsipim School.Kwesi Hagan,[https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/moments-on-the-journey-to-independence-the-monsoon-holidays.html "Moments on the journey to independence – ‘The Monsoon holidays’"], Graphic Online, 2 November 2016. He continued at the Ghana School of Law in 1958 and received his diploma in law in 1961. He was a member of the first nine students that were enrolled as lawyers from the school on 22 June 1963.{{cite web|url=https://gslaw.edu.gh/about-2/history/ |title=History |publisher=Ghana School of Law |accessdate=10 May 2019}} He also studied as an external student of the University of London.{{cite book |last=Uwechue |first=Ralph |title=Africa Who's who |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9EAOAQAAMAAJ&q=george+emmanuel+kwesi+aikins |publisher=Africa Journal Limited |page=109 |date=1991|isbn=9780903274173 }}
Career and politics
Aikins joined the civil service in 1949 as a second division clerk and later a senior executive officer. He served in that capacity until 1963 when he was called to the Ghanaian bar. That same year he took office as an assistant state attorney he later rose to the ranks of chief state attorney in 1976.
He was an adviser to the National House of Chiefs from 1973 to 1976 and a member of the Police Council from 1979 to 1981. He was also a member of the Prisons Service Board in 1979. In 1982 he was appointed Secretary of Justice and Attorney General{{cite book |last=Asamoah |first=Obed |authorlink=Obed Asamoah |date=2014 |title=The Political History of Ghana (1950–2013): The Experience of a Non-Conformist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O28ZBQAAQBAJ&q=g+e+k+aikins&pg=PA319 |page=319|isbn=9781496985637 }}{{cite book |last=Paxton |first= John |date=1988 |title=The Statesman's Year-Book 1988–89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLi8DQAAQBAJ&q=g+e+k+aikins&pg=PA559 |page=559|isbn= 9780230271173 }}{{cite book |last=Paxton |first= John |date=1985 |title=The Statesman's Year-Book 1985–86 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtnMDQAAQBAJ&q=g+e+k+aikins&pg=PA547 |page=547|isbn= 9780230271142 }}{{cite book |last=Paxton |first= John |date=1986 |title=The Statesman's Year-Book 1986–87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QunIDQAAQBAJ&q=g+e+k+aikins&pg=PA551 |page=551|isbn= 9780230271159 }} by the Provisional National Defence Council. He served in this position until 1988. He was later appointed justice of the supreme Court of Ghana.{{cite news |last=Boadu-Ayeboafoh |first=Yaw |date=2003-06-05 |title=GHANA ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, GAAS/FES PUBLIC FORUM 2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xufZDVLUfMkC&q=g+e+k+aikins+supreme+court+judge&pg=PA27 |work=Daily Graphic |access-date=2019-05-10}} He retired on 2 September 1998.{{cite report |title=The Supreme Court of Ghana Law Reports |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-6k-AQAAIAAJ&q=gek+aaikins |publisher=Advanced Legal Publications |date=1998}}