A Historical Overview of Compulsory Acquisition of Land in Ghana

Kwame Gyan

Abstract: The primary focus of this paper is to examine the trajectory of the development of the law on eminent domain in Ghana. It analyses the various pieces of legislation that have regulated and now do to the exercise of the State?s power of eminent domain. In so doing, it points out the paradigm shifts in the enactment of compulsory acquisition laws from the colonial period to the current dispensation, while highlighting some judicial decisions which clarify the ambiguities that characterize compulsory acquisition laws in Ghana.

Keywords: Ghana, History, Legislation, Compulsory Acquisition, Eminent Domain