Dr. Justice Srem-Sai

Dr Srem-Sai is currently a Senior Lecturer of public law at the University of Ghana School of Law, Legon, where he teaches Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Human Rights Law, and Criminal Law. Prior to joining the School, Dr Srem-Sai taught Constitutional Law, International Human Rights Law, and Commercial Law in other law schools, including the University of Leeds School of Law in the UK, and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School in Accra, Ghana. He has presented papers on various subjects of constitutional law, legislative reform, human rights, and disability rights, across Africa, in Europe, and North America. Dr Srem-Sai’s areas of research include constitutional law enforcement, human rights policy and litigation, corporate governance, legislative review, and the interface between law, poverty, and disability.

Outside of the School’s walls, Dr Srem-Sai has, over the years, built a reputation as a passionate constitutional rights enforcement lawyer and civil right advocate. He has worked with notable human right defender organisations – including the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), the Defend-Defenders Project, Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Gmbh (GIZ), the Institute of Law & Public Affairs (ILPA), and the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) – to help secure justice for victims of police brutalities and other human rights abuses.

Dr Srem-Sai was called to law practice in Ghana in 2011. Before that he obtained his undergraduate degrees from the University of Ghana and the Qualifying Certificate in Law from the Ghana School of Law. He holds postgraduate law degrees from the Cardiff School of Law & Politics, Harvard Law School, and the University of Leeds School of Law. Dr Srem-Sai’s academic awards include the Open Society Foundations Scholarship grant (2012), the Harvard Law School Scholarship award (2013), the Emory Law School Vulnerability and the Human Condition Initiative award (2018), and the Leeds Law PGR Overall Outstanding Thesis of the year award (2021).

Credentials:

• Ph.D.    -    University of Leeds School of Law, Leeds, England, UK.
• LL.M.    -    Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
• LL.M.    -    Cardiff University School of Law and Politics, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
• Q.C.L.    -    Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana.
• LL.B.    -    University of Ghana School of Law, Legon, Ghana.
• B.A.    -    University of Ghana Business School, Legon, Ghana.

Areas of Expertise:

• Constitutional Law.
• Human Rights Law, Policy, and Strategic Litigation.
• Corporate Governance and Policy.
• Poverty and Disability Law and Policy.

Publications:

• Srem-Sai, J., “Committing Ghana to International Agreements: A Review of the Roles of Parliament and the President,” (2021) Vol. 29(2) African Journal of International and Comparative Law, 204 – 222.
• Srem-Sai, J., “COVID-19 in Ghana: Rolling back the Human Rights Gains”, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Publication (November, 2020).
• Srem-Sai, J., et al, “Amending the Entrenched Provisions of the 1992 Constitution: A Nuanced Legal Perspective,” in P. Atupare & K. Quashigah, (eds.) As a Matter of Public Law and Rights in Ghana (Durban: Lexis Nexis Butterworths, 2020), 21 – 32.
• Srem-Sai, J., “Corporate Governance and the Capital Market in Ghana: The Stymieing Role of The State,” (2018) Vol. 26(3) African Journal of International and Comparative Law, 285 – 308.  
• Srem-Sai, J., “Of the Supreme Court, the Attorney-General, Amidu and Woyome: Qui Tam?” (2017) Vol. 3 Lancaster University Ghana Law Journal, 97 – 117.
• Srem-Sai, J., “The Hugger-Mugger of Enforcing Socio-Economic Rights in Ghana: A Threat to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (2015) Vol. 3 African Disability Rights Yearbook, 135 – 159.
• Srem-Sai, J., Parliamentary Oversight in Ghana: A Review, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Parliamentary Newsletter (September, 2014).
• Srem-Sai, J., “The Right to Freedom of Expression in Ghana: A Case for the inter-American System of Human Rights through Article 33(5) of the 1992 Constitution, (2011) Vol 3 University of Ghana Law Students’ Journal, 1 – 16.
• Srem-Sai, J., “Building a Winning Memorial for Mooting”, (2010) Vol. 2 University of Ghana Law Students’ Journal, 19 – 30.

Theses & Dissertations:

• Srem-Sai, J., Realising the Right of Persons with Disabilities to Work in Ghana: A Realist Evaluation of the Disability Common Fund through the Vulnerability Approach, (Submitted in accordance with the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law, University of Leeds School of Law, Leeds, England, UK, February, 2021).
• Srem-Sai, J., A Review of Corporate Governance in Ghana: The Stymieing Role of the State, (Submitted in accordance with the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Laws, Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, May, 2014).
• Srem-Sai, J., The Stifling of Socio-Economic Human Rights in Ghana by the Supreme Court and the Effects on Disability Rights, (Submitted in accordance with the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Laws, Cardiff University School of Law & Politics, Cardiff, Wales, UK, August, 2013).

Conference/Workshop/Seminar Papers:

• Srem-Sai, J., & Alengah, C., “The Imposition of Restriction Act: Retreating the 1992 Constitution to 1960”, at the GIMPA Law Conferences (GIMPA Law School, March 14 – 16, 2023), Accra, Ghana.
• Srem-Sai J., & Alengah, C., “When your only Tool is a Hammer: Examining the exercise of the Referral Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over 30 Years”, at the GIMPA Law Conferences (GIMPA Law School, March 14 – 16, 2023), Accra, Ghana.
• Srem-Sai, J., “Equality for Persons with Disabilities: The Vulnerability of Autonomy”, at the Workshop on Autonomy and Vulnerability (Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, GA, USA, Feb. 23 & 24, 2018).
• Srem-Sai, J., “The Treatment of Customary Law under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution: An Inspiration to South Sudan”, Paper presented at the National Constitutional Review Conference held in Juba, South Sudan (November 24 – 26, 2014).
• Srem-Sai, J., “Equality and Non-Discrimination in Disability Human Rights Law,” Paper presented at the Roundtable on the Proposed African Disability Protocol in Pretoria, South Africa (August 20 – 23, 2014).
• Srem-Sai, J., “Social Care Law in Ghana: A Case for Carers,” Paper delivered at the 2013 Annual Cerebra Social Care Law conference at the Centre for Health and Social Care Law, Cardiff Law School, Cardiff, UK. (February 21, 2013).
• Srem-Sai, J., “Of the Supreme Court, the Attorney-General, Amidu and Woyome: Qui Tam?”, at Ghana @ 60 Constitutional Law Conference: Evolution of the Law, Democratic Governance, Human Rights and Future Prospects, (University of Professional Studies, March, 2017).
• Srem-Sai, J., “Socioeconomic Challenges of Persons with Disabilities in Ghana, Open Society Foundation Disability Rights Scholarship Alumni Workshop, Tbilisi, Georgia, (August 13 – 19, 2016).