Justice Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh stands as a distinguished Ghanaian lawyer, parliamentarian and jurist whose life has been defined not only by his commitment to law and justice, but also by generosity, compassion and service to others.
Born on 20 December 1950 at Jirapa/Kuncheni (Kunkyeni) in the Upper West Region of Ghana, his remarkable journey has taken him from the classrooms of the Upper West Region to the legal profession, the Parliament of Ghana and ultimately the Bench.
On 30 September 1976, Justice Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh was called to the Ghana Bar, marking the beginning of an extraordinary fifty-year journey in the legal profession. On 30 September 2026, he celebrates his 50th anniversary as a lawyer—five decades of professional service, public duty and commitment to the administration of justice.
THE MAKING OF A LAWYER
Justice Francis G. Korbieh began his secondary education at St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, where he received an education grounded in intellectual discipline, character formation and service from 1963-1969 for his Ordinary Level Certificate.
He subsequently attended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Kwahu, continuing the academic journey that would ultimately lead him into the legal profession from 1969-1971 for his Advanced Level Certificate.
He proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon, and thereafter undertook his professional legal education at the Ghana School of Law.
On 30 September 1976, he was called to the Ghana Bar.
That date marked more than the beginning of a profession. It marked the beginning of a vocation that would span half a century.
A LAWYER, PUBLIC SERVANT AND JUSTICE
Over five decades, Justice Francis G. Korbieh has experienced the law from several important perspectives. He has been a legal practitioner, parliamentarian and judicial officer.
As a lawyer, he encountered the law through advocacy and legal practice at Gbewaa Chambers in Tamale.
As a parliamentarian, he encountered it through legislation, constitutional governance and representation.
As a Justice, he encountered it through the solemn responsibility of interpreting and applying the law.
Each chapter added another dimension to his understanding of justice and public service.
THE PARLIAMENTARIAN
Before entering parliament, he was a presiding member for the Jirapa Municipal Assembly and was nominated as a member of the Consultative Assembly that drafted the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
In the parliamentary election of 29 December 1992, Justice Francis G. Korbieh entered Ghana’s political history when he was elected Member of Parliament for the Jirapa Constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He assumed office on 7 January 1993, becoming a member of the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
He was subsequently re-elected in the 1996 general elections, returning to represent Jirapa in the Second Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
He served continuously as Member of Parliament for Jirapa from 7 January 1993 to 6 January 2001.
His parliamentary service coincided with the formative years of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. He was therefore part of the generation of legislators who participated in the development and consolidation of Ghana’s constitutional democracy.
PARLIAMENTARIAN AND DEPUTY MINISTER
Justice Francis G. Korbieh was appointed as a Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development as an additional role.
He served in this position from 1993-January 2001. From Parliament to the Bench
His transition from Parliament to the judiciary added another significant chapter to his professional journey as he served as a High Court justice and retired as a justice of the Court of Appeal from 2004- 2020.
By the time he assumed judicial responsibilities, he brought with him the accumulated experience of a legal practitioner and parliamentarian.
He understood the law from the perspective of the advocate.
He understood legislation from the perspective of the lawmaker. And he came to understand justice from the perspective of the Judge.
This breadth of experience gave his judicial career a distinctive foundation.
The Bench requires independence, impartiality, patience, learning and fidelity to the law. It is an office in which authority must always be accompanied by responsibility.
A GENEROUS AND COMPASSIONATE MAN
Beyond the titles, achievements and public offices, there is another important dimension of Justice Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh’s life: his generosity to others.
Those who have known him personally can speak not only of the lawyer, parliamentarian and Justice, but of a man who has been willing to extend a helping hand to people in need.
His generosity has touched many lives, including those of members of his own family including
the authors of this article.Over the years, he has assisted relatives, friends and others who turned to him for support, guidance or encouragement.
For him, success was not simply about personal advancement. It carried with it a responsibility to help others along the way.
He has therefore been a source of assistance to many people, sometimes quietly and without seeking recognition.
This aspect of his character is particularly important because the true measure of a person’s life is not always found in the offices they occupy. It is also found in the lives they influence and the people they help.
His professional achievements may be recorded in official documents, but the gratitude of people whom he has helped is recorded in their hearts.
A LEGACY BEYOND THE LAW
The legacy of Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh is therefore broader than his professional accomplishments.
His life brings together education, law, public service, justice, generosity and family responsibility.
He has demonstrated that professional success can be used not only for personal achievement but also as an avenue for helping others.
For many people, particularly members of his extended family and those who have benefited from his assistance, his legacy will be remembered through personal experiences of kindness and generosity.
The lawyer may be remembered for his legal career.
The parliamentarian may be remembered for representing Jirapa. The Justice may be remembered for his service to the judiciary.
But the man will also be remembered by people who can say:
“He helped me when I needed help.”
That is a different kind of legacy—one that cannot easily be measured or recorded in official histories.
FIFTY YEARS AT THE GHANA BAR
On 30 September 2026, Justice Francis G. Korbieh reaches a remarkable milestone:
50 YEARS AT THE GHANA BAR
Half a century after he took his professional oath as a young lawyer on 30 September 1976, his journey has come full circle.
The young barrister who entered the profession in 1976 could hardly have known the extraordinary path that lay ahead.
Five decades later, his professional journey encompasses the practice of law, Parliament and the Bench, alongside a lifetime of service to family, friends and the wider community.
His is therefore not simply a story of longevity.
It is a story of service, perseverance, generosity and justice.
A SON OF JIRAPA, A SERVANT OF GHANA
As a son of Jirapa and believing in education as breaking barriers, he was instrumental in the establishment of Jirapa Senior High School and to honour his contribution, a house has been named after him as KORBIEH HOUSE!
The significance of Justice Korbieh’s life extends beyond the offices he has occupied.
He remains a son of Jirapa/ Kuncheni (Kunkyeni) whose journey has become part of the story of the Upper West Region and Ghana as a whole.
His life offers a powerful message to younger generations: that one’s beginnings need not determine one’s destination; that education can open doors; that professional excellence can become public service; and that success becomes even more meaningful when it is shared with others.
THE LEGACY
When the history of Ghana’s legal profession is written, the story of Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh will occupy a meaningful place-one of the few people who served dutifully in all three arms of government- EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATURE and JUDICIARY.
But his legacy should not be confined to the law.
It should also be found in the people he represented, the institutions he served, the colleagues he worked with, the family members he supported, and the many people whose lives he touched through his generosity.
His life reminds us that justice is not only something administered in a courtroom. It is also reflected in how we treat other people—with dignity, compassion, fairness and generosity.
Fifty years ago, he was called to the Bar.
For fifty years, he has remained connected to the law and public service. And throughout that journey, he has also extended a helping hand to others. On 30 September 2026, we celebrate more than a professional anniversary. We celebrate a life of service.
We celebrate a life of justice. We celebrate a life of generosity.
We celebrate a life that has touched many others.
Justice Francis G. Korbieh may God continue to bless him and give him long life. Fifty Years at the Ghana Bar.
A Lifetime of Law, Justice, Service and Generosity.
Fifty years.
One profession.
A lifetime of service. Many lives touched. A lasting legacy.
By Mr. Solomon Korbieh, Esq And Col Felix Korbieh, Esq On Behalf Of The Korbieh Family
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