Charles Sterling Acolatse

Charles Sterling Acolatse
Supreme Court Judge
In office
1964–1965
Nominated byDr. Kwame Nkrumah
Succeeded byG. S. Lassey
Personal details
Born(1899-06-27)27 June 1899
Keta, Gold Coast
Died25 September 1967(1967-09-25) (aged 68)
NationalityGhanaian
Alma mater

Charles Acolatse Sterling was a Ghanaian lawyer and jurist.[1] He was a barrister-at-law and later justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.[2]

Early life and education

Charles was born on 27 June 1899 to Chief Joachim Acolatse of Keta in British Togoland (now the Volta Region of Ghana) and Catherine of Togo. At a young age he was adopted by the African Methodist Episcopal Missionaries to study in the United States of America.[3] He studied at Livingstone College, Salisbury, North Carolina and continued at the University of Cambridge, England.[4][5]

Career

Charles was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn on 7 January 1930 and enrolled as a barrister and solicitor by the then Chief Justice of the Gold Coast Colony Sir George Campbell Deane on 29 January 1931. He entered private legal practice and practised for twelve years. On 17 March 1943 he was appointed district magistrate[6] and on 7 January 1952 he was promoted to puisne judge.[7][8][9][5] In 1955 he was sent to Sierra Leone to serve on the Commission of Enquiry into the Strikes and Riots in Freetown.[10] In 1964 he was appointed Supreme Court Judge. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1965. He was replaced by Justice G. S. Lassey, who was formerly a jurist of the Cape Coast High Court.[4]

Personal life

Charles was married to Mary Adjuah Kuokor Vanderpuye, daughter of J. Addo Vanderpuye owner of Adawso Hotel. He enjoyed playing golf at his leisure time.[5] He died on 25 September 1967.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gold Coast Gazette, Part 3". Google books. Government Print Office: 1467. 1955.
  2. ^ "Gold Coast Gazette, Part 1". Google books. Government Print Office: 371. 1956.
  3. ^ "U.S.- Educated African Becomes Judge". Jet. USA: Johnson Publishing Company. 26 June 1952. p. 14. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b "University of Ghana Law Journal, Volume 2". Google books. Sweet and Maxwell: 82. 1965.
  5. ^ a b c "Ghana Year Book 1964". Daily Graphic. 1964. p. 119.
  6. ^ Vieta, K. T. (1999). The Flagbearers of Ghana: Profiles of One Hundred Distinguished Ghanaians, Volume 1. Ena Publications. p. 94. ISBN 9789988001384.
  7. ^ Amissah, A. N. E (1981). The contribution of the courts to government: a West African view. Clarendon Press. p. 145. ISBN 9780198253563.
  8. ^ Ghana (1976). The Supreme Court of Ghana centenary : souvenir, 1876-1976. p. 33.
  9. ^ Therson-Cofie, Martin (1952-08-29). "Justice Acolatse to be honoured". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  10. ^ Wyse, Akintola. (11 December 2003). H. C. Bankole-Bright and Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone, 1919-1958. Cambridge University Press. p. 175. ISBN 9780521533331.
  11. ^ "Ghana Year Book". Daily Graphic. 1969. p. 197.
  12. ^ "West Africa, Issues 2613-2639". Google Books. Afrimedia International: 1406. 1967.