Ghana’s legal fraternity, academia, corporate leadership, and the wider public are preparing to celebrate one of the most iconic figures in the country’s legal history, Tsatsu Tsikata, as he marks five decades since his call to the Ghana Bar in 1975.

The highly anticipated celebration, themed “Celebrating 50 Years of Tsatsu Tsikata at the Ghana Bar – 1975 to 2025,” will take place over three evenings, from August 6 to August 8, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

Each session will run from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. and promises a blend of intellectual reflection, personal recollection, and national recognition.

A Legal Journey Like No Other

The commemorative event will bring together former students, colleagues, political associates, and global peers of the renowned legal luminary to reflect on a life that has traversed courtrooms, lecture halls, boardrooms, and even prison walls—all in service of law, justice, and public life in Ghana.

Day One: Tsatsu in Practice

The celebrations will open on Wednesday, August 6, with a focus on Tsikata’s expansive legal practice—from defending human rights in the courtroom and before military tribunals, to navigating corporate law at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and his own legal battle that led to imprisonment.

Speakers for the evening include Tony Lithur and Thaddeus Sory, both accomplished lawyers who studied under Tsikata and have become leading voices in Ghana’s legal scene.

Goosie Tanoh, now a Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy, and Nana Appia Kyei, Director at Kosmos Energy Ghana and a former GNPC executive, will offer perspectives from Tsatsu’s tenure as GNPC’s Chief Executive.

The session will be chaired by Emile Francis Short, Ghana’s first Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and former Judge at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Day Two: Tsatsu the Scholar

On Thursday, August 7, attention shifts to Tsikata’s equally illustrious academic legacy. The evening will feature tributes from former students, including Kwesi Quartey, former AU Deputy Chairperson and presidential secretary; Prof. Martin Tsamenyi, an expert in international maritime law; and Christopher Quaye, all of whom were shaped by Tsikata’s incisive legal teaching.

The academic highlight will be a lecture by Professor Raymond Atuguba, outgoing Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, who will deliver a paper on “The Challenges of Legal Education in Ghana.”

Former Speaker of Parliament and one of Tsikata’s earliest students, Edward Doe Adjaho, will chair this session, bringing a strong political and institutional lens to the tribute.

Day Three: Politics, Principle and Public Life

The final evening, Friday, August 8, will turn to Tsatsu Tsikata’s political and civic engagements. His deep-rooted involvement in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and his broader influence on national governance will be spotlighted by Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Ghana’s first female Attorney General, and Kyeretwie Opoku, who worked with Tsikata during his time at GNPC.

Tsatsu himself will address the audience, offering personal reflections on the road travelled over the last 50 years.

The concluding session will be chaired by seasoned journalist and editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, who will also deliver closing remarks to wrap up the three-day celebration.

Share in the celebration

In recognition of this significant milestone, organisers have created a digital platform for the public to submit messages of congratulations and solidarity. Individuals wishing to honour Tsikata with a message can do so by visiting: https://forms.office.com/r/TZWKTTCyAh

More than a celebration

Beyond honouring Tsikata’s legacy, the event serves as a mirror to Ghana’s legal and political history—one shaped by activism, intellect, resilience, and principle.

As Tsikata marks 50 years at the Bar, his story continues to inspire generations of lawyers, scholars, activists, and patriots committed to justice and nation-building.