Justice Francis Korbieh: How a boy from the village became a Court of Appeal judge and not a priest

“I didn't get the calling. So that's why I didn't become a priest.”

That was how retired Court of Appeal judge Justice Francis Gyafiiry Korbieh explained, with laughter, why he did not follow the path to priesthood despite attending a seminary established to train Catholic priests and young men for Christian life.

Instead, he went on to become a lawyer, parliamentarian and judge, building a career spanning five decades in Ghana’s legal profession.

But the journey began far from the courtroom, in a village in the Upper West Region where access to education demanded long walks and considerable determination.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Personality Profile with Lexis Bill on Thursday, October 8, Justice Korbieh recalled how he had to walk about 10 miles from his village to attend primary school because there was no school in the community.

“Well, let me start by saying that I come from a village that is uh 10 miles due east of Jirapa,” he said.

“There was no school there. So I had to walk those 10 miles, let me say 10 kilometers.”

His school operated a boarding system, allowing pupils to remain on campus during the week. But getting there and returning home was still a demanding routine.

“I used to walk to the school, attend school for one week, walk back to my village for two days and then walk back to school for another week”.

The journey continued throughout his six years of primary education, a routine that offered an early lesson in perseverance.

His circumstances changed in Primary Six when he gained admission to St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, a new secondary school established in the then diocese of Wa.

It was an unusual development for a child from his part of the country, where, according to him, proceeding directly from Primary Six to secondary school was then uncommon.

“It was a novelty at the time because in our part of the country, nobody ever went to secondary school from Primary Six.”

The school had been established by the late Cardinal Peter Porekuu Dery, who was then Bishop of Wa.

Justice Korbieh was among its pioneer students.

He said the school initially operated in Jirapa before relocating to Wa after its first term.

A seminary, but not a priest

St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary was established with two objectives: to prepare young men for the priesthood and to educate those who would pursue other careers while serving God and the country.

For Korbieh, the second path was the one he chose.

When asked whether he had wanted to become a priest, he responded candidly:

“I didn't want to become a priest.”

He then offered a light-hearted explanation for the decision.

“A priest? I didn't get the calling. So that's why I didn't become a priest.”

Although he did not enter the priesthood, Korbieh said his life had remained connected to both public service and the church.

“But here I am. I serve my country very well. I also serve the church very well”

Five decades in the legal profession

Korbieh’s journey eventually took him from the classroom into legal practice, Parliament and the judiciary.

Born on 20 December 1950 at Jirapa/Kuncheni, Justice Korbieh pursued further studies at St. Peter’s Secondary School, the University of Ghana, and the Ghana School of Law. He was called to the Ghana Bar on 30 September 1976, marking five decades in the legal fraternity this year.

He went on to serve as the Member of Parliament for Jirapa from 1993 to 2001 before elevating to the Bench, where he served as a Justice of the Court of Appeal until his retirement in 2020.

Yet, for the retired judge, the foundation of every judgment written and every law passed remains those 10 long miles walked in pursuit of a dream.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.