Raymond Atuguba

Raymond Akongburo Atuguba  is the Professor of General Jurisprudence and Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law from 2019 to 2025, where he has been a faculty member since 2002. He served as a Visiting Professor of Law and the Henry J. Steiner Visiting Professor of Human Rights at Harvard Law School from 2018 to 2019. In Spring 2024, he held the position of Bok Visiting International Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Early life and education
Raymond was born in rural Ghana. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, graduating with First Class Honours in Law (LLB) in 1997. In 1999, he obtained certification as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana from the Ghana School of Law, earning Best Student awards in Civil Procedure, Family Law, and Commercial (Insurance) Law. He furthered his education at Harvard Law School, earning a Master of Laws (LLM) in 2000 and a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) with distinction in 2004. Additionally, he earned an Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 2014.

Academic Career
Professor Atuguba has held various visiting and permanent positions at academic institutions and continues to contribute his expertise to the law and development field. He has shared his knowledge and insights at several universities across Africa, Europe, North America, Canada, and Australia.

Professor Atuguba has over 100 publications, engaged in over 100 research and advocacy projects, and produced over 100 research and technical reports. He has delivered over 500 papers and presentations across all continents since the beginning of century. He has audited, reviewed, and drafted over 500 constitutions, policies, main legislation, strategies, regulations, guidelines, manuals, and procedures, primarily in African countries and worldwide. His research focuses on Policy, Law and Development in the Global South, Constitutional and Administrative Law in Africa, and Transnational Perspectives on Human Rights and Community Lawyering.

Professional Career
Beyond academia, Professor Atuguba has a diverse professional background. His professional experience includes roles in the public sector, such as Executive Secretary to the Constitution Review Commission of Ghana, and Executive Secretary to the President of Ghana. In the private sector, Professor Atuguba is the founder and former Team Leader of Law and Development Associates (LADA), and he currently serves as the Managing Partner of Atuguba and Associates, a law firm that specializes in legal services. In the non-profit sector, he is the co-founder, former Executive Director, and former Board Chair of the Legal Resources Centre. Additionally, he serves as the Board Chair of the LADA Institute.

He has consulted for many African governments, including those of The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. His consultancy work extends to major international development agencies and NGOs such as the United Nations (UN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCR), UNICEF, UNHCR, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), European Union (EU), African Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), USAID, UK-AID (DFID), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAF), International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP), Oxfam, IBIS, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), ActionAid International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, CARE International, Plan International, Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute (OSI), and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Professor Atuguba has also designed and led or co-led over 100 training programs and workshops and has chaired or participated in over 100 boards and committees at both national and international levels.

Policy and Legal Experience

 * 2021-2022         Policy Advisor to the Government of Guinea Bissau.
 * 2019-2022          Policy Advisor to the Government of Gambia.
 * 2006-2022          Policy Advisor to the Government of Liberia.
 * 2018-2022          Policy Advisor to the Government of Sierra Leone.
 * 2019-2020          Policy Advisor to the Government of Lesotho.
 * 2013-2015          Executive Secretary to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Office of the President, Accra, Ghana.
 * 2010-2012          Executive Secretary, Constitution Review Commission, Accra, Ghana.
 * 2006-2010          Executive Director and Managing Partner, Law and Development Associates and Atuguba & Associates, Ghana.
 * 2008-2010          Member, United Nations High-Level Task Force on the Implementation of the Right to Development.
 * 1998-2008         Projects Director, then Associate Executive Director, then Executive Director, the Board Chair, Legal Resources Centre, Ghana.

Achievements and Honors

 * 2024: Visiting International Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, USA.
 * 2018-2019: Henry J. Steiner Visiting Professor of Human Rights, Harvard Law School, USA.
 * 2011-2014: Sheila Biddle Ford Fndn. Fellowship, W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research, Harvard University, USA.
 * 2004: SJD with Distinction, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, USA.
 * 2003: British Council Fellowship, The University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre, Higher Education Link Fellowship Programme, Nottingham, UK.
 * 2001: Jennifer Oppenheimer Grant for Doctoral Dissertation Research, Committee for African Studies, Harvard University, USA.
 * 2000-2004: Graduate Fellowship, Harvard Law School, USA.
 * 1999-2000: James Souverain Gallo Memorial Scholarship, Harvard University, USA.
 * 1999: Academic Excellence and Best Student Awards in Civil Procedure, Commercial (Insurance) Law, and Family Law, Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana.
 * 1997: First Class Honours, Best Student Award, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Projects
Prof. Raymond A. Atuguba has led and participated in various significant local and international projects:


 * 1) University of Ghana School of Law Projects Office (2019–2025).
 * 2) The Africa We Want, a research project by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2020–2022)
 * 3) Democratic Vigilance Project (DVP), a partnership between GIZ and the University of Ghana School of Law (2020–2022)
 * 4) The Gambia National Health Insurance Law Reform Project (2019–2022)
 * 5) Domestic Security Implications of UN Peacekeeping, Danish Government's Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (FFU) (2018–2022)
 * 6) Liberia Land Law Reform Project – Research and Legislative Drafting, Liberia Land Authority and the World Bank (2018–2022)
 * 7) Equal Rights Trust Project in Support of the Adoption of Comprehensive Equality Laws in Ghana (2020–2021)
 * 8) Expanding the Scope for Social and Economic Rights Litigation in Ghana and South Africa, Open Society Foundation and Oxfam IBIS, Ghana (2014–2018)
 * 9) Growth in West Africa: Impacts of Extractive Industry on Women's Economic Empowerment in La Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, International Development Research Centre (2015–2017)
 * 10) Reform of Health Insurance Policies, Laws and Regulations, Government of Ghana (2008–2016)
 * 11) Reconstructing Government for Delivery, UK's Department for International Development (DFID) Ghana; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ghana, and Government of Ghana. (2014–2016)
 * 12) Consultative Review of the Operation of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ghana, and Government of Ghana. (2010–2012)
 * 13) Reform of Forestry and Wildlife Laws and Regulations and ensuring international Regulatory Compliance, Government of Ghana (2008–2012)
 * 14) Ghana Court Uses and Users Study, World Bank. (2009–2010)
 * 15) Development of a Humanitarian Affairs Policy and Strategy for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), ECOWAS (2008–2009)
 * 16) Improving the Tax Culture of Ghana, German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), Government of Ghana, and Ghana National House of Chiefs (2005–2009)
 * 17) Strengthening Parliamentary Processes in Ghana, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (2002–2008)
 * 18) Improving the Teaching of Law Components of Graduate Courses in the University of Ghana, World Bank. (2006–2008)
 * 19) Rights-Based Training, Resource Facilitation, Backstopping, Field Visits, and Support with Plans and Budgets, Action Aid International. (2005–2008)
 * 20) Strengthening of Civil Society Organizations in Ghana, Department for International Development (DFID) Ghana. (2005–2007)
 * 21) International Human Rights and Lawyering Internship Project, the United States Embassy in Ghana and Harvard University. (2000–2008)
 * 22) Decentralisation and the Development of Human Rights Cities, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Government of Ghana. (2002–2005)
 * 23) Micro-composting, Marketing Research and Legal Regulation of Waste Management, British High Commission Small Grants Scheme, Ghana and DOEN Foundation. (2004–2005)
 * 24) The Right to Development in Ghana, Harvard School of Public Health's FXB Centre for Health and Human Rights and Schurgot Foundation. (2002–2004)
 * 25) Projecting, Promoting, and Protecting the Rights of Prisoners, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). (2002–2003)
 * 26) Community Mobilization and Legal Aid to Depressed Communities, United States Embassy in Accra, Ghana. (1999–2001)

Awards

 * Dean of the Year, National Students Platinum Awards, Accra, Ghana. (2023)
 * Life Grand Patron of Law Students' Association, Nigerian Open University of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter. (2022)
 * Best Student Lecturer Award, University of Ghana Business School, Accra, Ghana. (2005–2006)

Certificates

 * 2001 - Certificate in Transnational Negotiation, Harvard Negotiation Program, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
 * 1999 - Professional Certificate for Law Practice in Ghana/Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana

Short certificates courses

 * Introduction to the Right to Equality
 * Training Programme run by Equal Rights Trust.
 * Certificate awarded on 8th January 2021.
 * Security Responsiveness
 * Training Programme run by the World Bank Group.
 * Certificate awarded 20th August 2019.
 * Gender Equity and Inclusion Training
 * Training Programme run by Harvard University
 * Certificate awarded in Spring of 2019.