Bernard Joao da Rocha (16 May 1927 – 23 February 2010) was a founding member and the first National Chairman of the

New Patriotic Party , logo = , colorcode = #132f7a , founder = , founded = 28 July 1992 , dissolved = , leader = Nana Akufo-Addo , chairman = Stephen Ayensu Ntim Stephen Ntim elected NPP National Chairman on fifth attempt http://www.gna.org.gh/1.2152672 ...

. He was also the first

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...

Director of the

Ghana School of Law The Ghana School of Law (GSL) is an educational institution in Ghana for training lawyers. The school is the only one that provides training for law graduates in the Barrister at Law program. The Professional Law Course is designed for Law Gradu ...

Education

B. J. Da Rocha was born in

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea ...

, Ghana, where he had his secondary education at Adisadel College.

Career

He lectured at the

for almost two decades before retiring in 1992 as the first Ghanaian Legal Director of Education. He also served as the General Secretary of the Progress Party led by

Kofi Abrefa Busia Kofi Abrefa Busia (born 11 July 1913 – 28 August 1978) was a Ghanaian political leader and academic who was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. As a nationalist leader and prime minister, he helped to restore civilian government to the ...

Honor

In 1993, the

Ghana Bar Association The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is a professional association of lawyers in Ghana, including what used to be called solicitors and barristers but are now called legal practitioners, as well as magistrates. By convention all lawyers admitted to pr ...

honored da Rocha for his contribution to the legal profession.

Legacy

Mountcrest University College Mountcrest University College is a private co-ed tertiary institution in Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, s ...

in Ghana has instituted a lecture and a chair in Law and Politics in Da Rocha's memory and honour in recognition to his contribution to the legal fraternity in Ghana.

References

1930 births 2010 deaths New Patriotic Party politicians 20th-century Ghanaian lawyers Academic staff of Ghana School of Law People from Cape Coast {{Ghana-politician-stub