Constitution Day is today: A quick explanation

Constitution Day in Ghana is a statutory holiday that commemorates the establishment of a new constitution for the Fourth Republic of Ghana in January 1993.

The 1992 Ghanaian Constitution is the colloquial name for the Constitution of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

Every year on January 7, following the legislative and presidential elections and the selection of a new president and members of parliament, Constitution Day is observed.

Constitution Day is the first day of a new Parliament in an election year. Following polls, the previous Parliament of Ghana is dissolved at midnight on January 6.

Following military takeovers that invalidated the first three constitutions, a referendum on April 28, 1992, resulted in the adoption of the fourth constitution, which came into effect on January 7, 1993.

As a result, this day is observed annually to honor the endeavors made to uphold the fourth republic throughout the years as well as the drafting of Ghana's 1992 Constitution.

After the Public Holidays Act of 2001, Section 2 (Act 601) was passed, the day was declared a holiday, and it was first observed on January 7, 2019.

The national calendar of events for this day is unknown, but in 2020, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), and Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD), emphasized the importance of educating the public about the significance of Ghana's Constitution Day in schools and communities.

The Fourth Republic of Ghana's Constitution was adopted on January 7, 1993, and the Day has been designated as a holiday in accordance with Public Holiday Act, 2001, Section 2. (Act 601).

In a statement released in honor of the Day, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) noted that 29 years of uninterrupted constitutional rule was a significant accomplishment that should be remembered in light of the nation's turbulent political past and the three Republican constitutions that were overthrown and severely compromised by military interventions.

The Commission urged citizens to commemorate the Fourth Republican Constitution of 1992 and promoted studying the fundamental legislation as a framework for civic duties and rights.

Ghanaians have been reminded by the NCCE of their shared responsibility to protect and defend the 1992 Constitution from outside intervention and disruption.