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LEGAL EMPOWERMENT & CIVIC RIGHTS · GHANA
Plain-language legal information for everyday decisions.
These practical topic areas help the public understand basic rights, statutory protections, and where they can begin to seek immediate help or guidance across Ghana.
Police Emergency:191 / 112
DOVVSU Toll-Free:0800 111 222
Legal Aid Commission:+233 302 669 220
Criminal Procedure
Arrest & Police Rights
1992 Constitution (Art. 14) & Criminal Procedure Act (Act 30)
Statutory protections regarding constitutional detention limits, mandatory legal representation, and lawful bail procedures across Ghana.
Key Protections:
- Mandatory right to be informed immediately, in a language you understand, of the exact reason for your arrest.
- The constitutional 48-hour limit: you must be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within 48 hours of detention.
Protection & Safety
Gender-Based Violence
Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732)
Statutory protections under Act 732, emergency court protection orders, DOVVSU reporting mechanisms, and free medical care provisions.
Key Protections:
- Domestic violence encompasses physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, psychological, and economic abuse within family or domestic relationships.
- Free medical care: Police Medical Examination Forms for domestic violence survivors must be filled by public healthcare officers without charging fees.
Labour Act 651
Employment Rights
Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651)
Protections concerning lawful termination, redundancy entitlements, written employment contracts, and National Labour Commission filings.
Key Protections:
- Right to written employment particulars within two months of commencing work for any engagement exceeding six months.
- Protection from unfair termination: an employer must demonstrate valid, lawful grounds related to capacity, conduct, or operational requirements.
Rent Act 220
Housing & Tenancy
Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) & Rent Regulations (L.I. 369)
Lawful advance rent caps, protection against self-help evictions, notice-to-quit regulations, and Rent Control dispute resolution.
Key Protections:
- Statutory advance rent limit: it is an offense under Act 220 Section 25 for a landlord to demand or receive rent advance exceeding six months.
- Illegal ejections: landlords cannot disconnect electricity, remove roofing, change door locks, or seize tenant property without court order.
Family Law
Family & Domestic Rights
Children's Act (Act 560) & Intestate Succession Law (PNDC Law 111)
Child maintenance obligations, legal custody determination, customary marriage validity, and spousal inheritance rules under PNDC Law 111.
Key Protections:
- Child welfare principle: every judicial decision regarding custody, schooling, or maintenance must treat the child's best interests as paramount.
- Mandatory parental maintenance: both parents share non-negotiable legal responsibilities to provide food, shelter, healthcare, and education.
State Aid & Pro Bono
Access to Legal Representation
Legal Aid Commission Act, 2018 (Act 977)
Means testing qualifications for state-funded legal defense, civic paralegal advice, and pro bono foundation casework across all 16 regions.
Key Protections:
- Constitutional entitlement: anyone facing charges carrying life imprisonment or capital punishment is entitled to state-funded counsel.
- Means-tested legal aid: citizens earning below the national minimum living benchmark qualify for free legal representation in civil and criminal matters.
Institutional Directory
Where to Seek Help
Statutory & Civic Redress Bodies in Ghana
Direct directory, physical locations, and operating hours for CHRAJ ombudsmen, DOVVSU units, Legal Aid clinics, and municipal desks.
Key Protections:
- CHRAJ (Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice): investigating public service injustice, corruption, and human rights violations.
- DOVVSU (Ghana Police Service): specialized policing for domestic abuse, sexual harassment, defilement, and child neglect cases.
1992 Constitution
Constitutional Rights
1992 Constitution of Ghana, Chapter 5 (Arts. 12–33)
Chapter 5 fundamental human rights, non-discrimination protections, fair trial guarantees, and invoking Supreme Court remedies.
Key Protections:
- Inviolability of human dignity: no person shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Equality before the law: prohibition of discrimination on grounds of gender, race, color, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or economic status.
PRO BONO LEGAL INTAKE
Facing an active rights dispute or need legal representation?
Our foundation legal desk evaluates cases for free legal assistance, court representation, and human rights ombudsman petitions for qualified individuals.