Supreme Court of Ghana has awarded GH¢800,000 in compensation to Yaw Appiah, a bar owner who spent nearly 19 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of robbery.
The landmark ruling, delivered on February 10, 2026, was presided over by Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who led a five-member panel that found Appiah had suffered a miscarriage of justice.
The panel also included Justices Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Samuel Asiedu, Yaw Darko Asare, and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo.
Appiah was arrested in 2006 and spent five years on remand before being convicted in 2011 at the age of 29. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
However, in March 2025, the Court of Appeal of Ghana acquitted and discharged him, describing the conviction as a “tragedy” after he had already served nearly two decades at Nsawam Prison.
Following his acquittal, Appiah filed for compensation at the Supreme Court.
His legal team, led by Augustine Obour and Claudia Coleman, sought GH¢2,020,800 under provisions of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
The State, represented by Principal State Attorney Nana Adoma Osei, proposed a significantly lower compensation range of GH¢75,000 to GH¢100,000.
After considering arguments from both sides and referencing legal precedent, including the Dodzi Sabbah case, the court awarded GH¢800,000 as fair compensation.
The ruling was grounded in Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees compensation for unlawful detention and wrongful conviction.
Article 14(5) provides compensation for individuals unlawfully arrested or detained, while Article 14(7) empowers the Supreme Court to award damages where a conviction is overturned on appeal.
The decision is being viewed as a significant moment in Ghana’s justice system, reinforcing accountability and the rights of individuals wrongfully deprived of their liberty.
