Earning a Reputation for Independence: Ghana's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, 1993-2003

Abstract

In 1993, Emile Short, a private practice lawyer, took on the challenging job of leading Ghana’s new Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice. Created by the 1992 constitution, the commission had a triple mandate: ombudsman, anti-corruption agency and human rights monitor. Short had to construct the organization from scratch and make it relevant in a political landscape dominated by the presidency. He had to execute a constitutionally broad mandate and develop a public reputation for independence, despite a limited resource base and no enforcement authority. The commission’s power lay in its evidence-based investigations and public hearings, which, combined with media and public support, helped to expose high-level corruption and mobilize social pressures for greater accountability. Short focused on building the commission’s credibility, developing public education programs and creating a network of anti-corruption civil society groups. Short asserted the commission’s independence early on, investigating allegations of corruption against sitting ministers in 1996. For the first time in Ghana, public investigations of incumbent politicians triggered ministerial resignations.

 
Deepa Iyer drafted this case on the basis of interviews conducted in Accra, Ghana, in July 2011. Itumeleng Makgetla contributed interviews in September 2009. Case published November 2011.
 
Associated Interview(s):  Emil Short
Keywords
public education
networks
human rights
building public credibility
building independence
anti-corruption
Focus Area(s)
Anti-Corruption
Civil Service
Building a Reform Team and Staff
Containing Patronage Pressures
Getting the News Out/Managing Expectations
Critical Tasks
Anti-corruption agencies
Civil service corruption
Country of Reform
Ghana
Type
Case Studies
Author
Deepa Iyer