Judge to launch Book on law of interpretation

A book titled, ‘‘Modern Approach to the Law of Interpretation in Ghana’’ would be launched at the National Theatre in Accra, May 23.

The book, written by Sir Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, a Court of Appeal judge, would serve as a useful reference material.

It deals comprehensively with approaches adopted by judges in the interpretations of laws and highlights, specifically, the various approaches used by the nine Justices of the Supreme Court in formulating their judgments on the 2012 Election Petition

A statement issued in Accra and copied to Ghana News Agency said democratic developments and the need to entrench constitutional rule in Ghana require that every citizen acquires some working knowledge of the law.

The book, coming on the heels of an important development in the Ghanaian jurisprudence: ‘‘the 2012 Election Petition,’’ would give useful insights on the legal thoughts which informed the decision of each of the judges.

It would also educate readers on other useful legal subjects such as the 32 common law presumptions and the construction of will, deeds, and documents.

Other subjects covered by the book include Repealed and retroactive legislations, Constitutional interpretation as well as the meanings of words like ‘‘shall,’’ ‘‘may,’’ and ‘‘must.’’

The author, Sir Adjei, is also a Senior Lecturer in the Law of Interpretation of Statutes, Deeds and Documents at the Ghana School of Law.

He attended the University of Ghana, Legon, and the Ghana School of Law, Accra.

Sir Justice Adjei holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, a Master of Laws in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of London and a Master of Laws in Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law in the United States.

Sir Dennis was knighted by the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the order of St Gregory the Great in 2005.

Students, media professionals, lawyers, and the public would find the book very useful, the statement said.