Jacob Hackenburg Griffiths-Randolph (6 September 1914 – 25 July 1986) was a judge and also the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

of the

Parliament of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana. History Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony known as Gold Coast. The body, called the Legislative Council, ...

during the Third Republic. He was also the first Ghanaian to become Commissioner of Income Tax.

Early life and education

He was born in Accra,

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

on 6 September 1914. A descendant of the Euro-African Ga people, he attended the all-boys' Anglican boarding school, the Adisadel College, then joined John Holt trading company, rising to the position of Regional Manager and representing the company in Kumasi. Later, Griffiths-Randolph resigned and travelled to London in order to further his education. He successfully completed his legal education at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

In 1952, after which he returned to Ghana.

Career

In 1959, during the First Republic of Ghana, President Kwame Nkrumah appointed him as Commissioner of Income Tax, the first African to hold that position. He went into exile in

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

in 1962, after criticising President Nkrumah in a church sermon, and being alerted of his imminent arrest, which led to his leaving the church and heading directly to the Togo border. While in Togo as a guest of the Togolese President Olympio, a coup occurred there and he escaped to Nigeria, from where he headed to England, and into exile for the next few years till President Nkrumah was overthrown in February 1966. He was appointed a Superior Court judge by the new government and served in

Bolgatanga Bolgatanga ( Frafra: '), colloquially known as ''Bolga'', is a town and the capital of the Bolgatanga Municipal District and Upper East Region of Ghana, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. Bolgatanga has over 2012 settlement and a popula ...

, Cape Coast,

Tamale A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tam ...

and finally Accra, where he was till he retired from the Bench in 1979. With the handover of power by the military in September 1979, the 3rd Republic was born, and he was unanimously selected to be Speaker of Parliament. He served as

of the

from 24 September 1979 until 31 December 1981, during the presidency of Dr.

Hilla Limann Hilla Limann, (12 December 1934 – 23 January 1998) was a Ghanaian diplomat and politician who served the President of Ghana from 24 September 1979 to 31 December 1981. He served as a diplomat in Lome, Togo and Geneva, Switzerland. Education ...

, whose government was overthrown by Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings.

Family

Justice Griffiths-Randolph and his wife Frances Philippina (née Mann) had seven children. Their daughter Rebecca, is married to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Later life

Griffiths-Randolph died on 25 July 1986, aged 72.

Notes

Speakers of the Parliament of Ghana 1914 births 1986 deaths Alumni of Adisadel College Ga-Adangbe people Ghanaian Freemasons People from Accra 20th-century Ghanaian lawyers Ghanaian Anglicans 20th-century judges {{Ghana-politician-stub