The Court of Appeal has ordered the immediate promotion of 40 Chief Inspectors in the Ghana Police Service and directed authorities to pay all related financial entitlements within six months, overturning a lower court ruling that had dismissed their case.
The officers had sued after being excluded from a special promotion amnesty introduced during the tenure of former Inspector-General of Police George Akuffo Dampare.
The programme allowed officers who obtained university degrees before 2020 to benefit from accelerated promotions.
The affected officers, many with 25 to 30 years of service, argued they were denied entry to the Police Academy — a requirement for promotion to Assistant Superintendent of Police — while some junior colleagues benefited from the amnesty.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, unanimously set aside the High Court decision, describing it as an injustice.
The court ordered the Ghana Police Service to promote the officers with immediate effect and to settle all outstanding entitlements within six months.
The case was first dismissed by the Kumasi High Court, which held that promotions in the Police Service are governed by established procedures and that academic qualifications alone do not guarantee advancement.
Lawyer for the officers, Anne Agbetsiafa, welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory for fairness.
The decision was greeted with celebrations by the affected officers at the court premises.
