{{Short description|Ghanaian lawyer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei | office = Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana | order = | image = Presentation of Woman of Courage Award to Electoral Commission Chair Charlotte Osei 5 (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = | constituency = | deputy = | predecessor = Kwadwo Afari-Gyan | president = John Dramani Mahama | successor = Jean Adukwei Mensa | footnotes = | signature = | signature_alt = | majority = | party = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|02|01}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | other_party = <!--For additional political affiliations--> | partner = <!--Kofivey Asempah (source?)--> | relations = | children = | alma_mater = University of Ghana<br />Ghana National College | occupation = | profession = Lawyer | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | blank1 = | website = | term_start = 2015 | term_end = 2018<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nyabor |first1=Jonas |title=Akufo-Addo removes Charlotte Osei, two deputies from office |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2018/06/28/akufo-addo-removes-charlotte-osei-two-deputies-from-office/ |website=citinewsroom.com |publisher=Citi News Room |accessdate=28 June 2018|date=28 June 2018 }}</ref> | office2 = | office1 = Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education | term_end1 = 2015 | term_start1 = 2011 | predecessor1 = Larry Bimi | successor1 = Josephine Nkrumah }}
'''Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei''' (born 1 February 1969)<ref name="Gracia">{{Cite web |last=Gracia |first=Zindzy |date=2018-08-16 |title=Profile: Charlotte Osei biography and pictures |url=https://yen.com.gh/114365-profile-charlotte-osei-biography-pictures.html |access-date=2019-04-13 |website=Yen- Ghana news. |language=en}}</ref> is a Ghanaian lawyer and former chairperson<ref name="Gracia"/> of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 2015 until she was dismissed in June 2018<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ayitey |first=Charles |date=2018-06-29 |title=Nana Addo sacks Charlotte Osei and three deputies for "misbehavior and incompetence" |url=https://yen.com.gh/112118-ec-boss-charlotte-osei-sacked.html |access-date=2019-04-13 |website=Yen - Ghana news. |language=en}}</ref> on grounds of financial malfeasance.<ref name="graphic1">{{Cite news |date=26 June 2015 |title=NCCE boss named EC Chairperson |url=http://graphic.com.gh/news/politics/45212-ncce-boss-named-ec-chairperson.html |location=Accra, Ghana|accessdate=26 June 2015 |newspaper=Daily Graphic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://asembi.com/charlotte-osei-and-two-deputies-fired-by-president-akufo-addo/|title=EC Boss Charlotte Osei and two deputies fired by President Akufo Addo - Asembi.com|date=2018-06-28|work=Asembi.com|access-date=2018-06-28|language=en-US|archive-date=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628235333/https://asembi.com/charlotte-osei-and-two-deputies-fired-by-president-akufo-addo/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 June 2018 |title=Appoint me as new EC Boss - Kennedy Agyapong |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Appoint-me-as-new-EC-Boss-Kennedy-Agyapong-664368 |access-date=2018-07-02 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> Her dismissal has been challenged in the Supreme Court of Ghana in two separate writs.<ref name="baako">{{cite web |title=Kweku Baako challenges Charlotte Osei's removal in court |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Kweku-Baako-challenges-Charlotte-Osei-s-removal-in-court-667630 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711094847/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Kweku-Baako-challenges-Charlotte-Osei-s-removal-in-court-667630 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |accessdate=11 July 2018 |website= |publisher=GhanaWeb}}</ref> She became the first female to serve in the office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana since the country's independence.<ref name="joy1">{{cite web |author=Nyavor, George |date=26 June 2015 |title=NPP congratulates new EC Chair; says she is competent |url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2015/June-26th/npp-congratulates-new-ec-chair-says-she-is-competent.php |accessdate=26 June 2015 |publisher=Myjoyonline}}</ref> She was previously the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education.<ref name="gna1">{{cite web | url=http://www.ghananewsagency.org/features/agenda-2030-women-in-power-and-decision-making-89852 | title=Agenda 2030: Women in power and decision-making | publisher=Ghana News Agency | date=28 May 2015 | accessdate=26 June 2015}}</ref> In May 2019, she was appointed by the United Nations to be on a team of international advisors, to assist in managing the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 May 2019 |title=Charlotte Osei gets UN Elections Commission job in Afghanistan |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ghana-news-charlotte-osei-appointed-un-international-elections-commissioner.html |location=Accra, Ghana|access-date=2019-05-27 |newspaper=Daily Graphic}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Charlotte Osei was born in Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite web |title=charllote osei place of birth - Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=charllote+osei+place+of+birth |access-date=2021-03-06 |website=Google}}</ref> Her mother, who is of mixed West African nationality, is not Ghanaian, and her father, also of mixed west African nationality, has a parent being Ghanaian.
Charlotte Osei had her secondary education at the Ghana National College in Cape Coast. She proceeded to the University of Ghana where she obtained her LLB in 1992 and Ghana School of Law to be called to the bar in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2018 |title=5 things you didn't know about the fired EC boss, Charlotte Osei |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/5-things-you-didn-t-know-about-the-fired-EC-boss-Charlotte-Osei-664666 |access-date=2019-04-13 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> She also holds Master of Business Leadership (MBL) from the University of South Africa, Pretoria (2006), Master of Laws, (LLM), from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Mrs Charlotte Osei, 1st female and youngest EC Chair brings freshness to job - Graphic Online|url = http://graphic.com.gh/news/politics/45343-mrs-charlotte-osei-1st-female-ec-chair-brings-freshness-to-job.html|location=Accra, Ghana|accessdate = 2015-06-30|date = 29 June 2015|newspaper=Daily Graphic}}</ref>
== Career== Charlotte Osei was a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon in 1994 to 1995.<ref name="ghanaweb.com">{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, Electoral Commission Chairperson |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=1397# |access-date=2019-04-13 |website=GhanaWeb}}</ref> She worked as a lawyer for Laryea Company in Accra from 1994 to 1997, then as Senior Legal Officer at the Ghana Commercial Bank from 1997 until 2002.<ref name="ghanaweb.com"/> She also lectured part time in commercial law at the university from 1997 until 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://citifmonline.com/2015/06/26/new-ec-boss-full-cv/|title=New EC boss' full CV {{!}}|last=Nyabor|first=Jonas|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-23|date=26 June 2015}}</ref>
From 2002 to 2005, Osei worked as general counsel for Unibank Ghana, and then from 2005 to 2011 as founder and lead counsel for business lawyers,<ref name="ghanaweb.com"/> Prime Attorneys.<ref name="law.queensu.ca">{{Cite web |title=Ghana's first female electoral commissioner a Queen's Law grad {{!}} Queen's Law |url=https://law.queensu.ca/news/Ghanas-first-female-electoral-commissioner-a-Queens-Law-grad |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=law.queensu.ca}}</ref> She was chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education from 2011 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Osei is new NCCE boss |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Charlotte-Osei-is-new-NCCE-boss-222245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430152251/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Charlotte-Osei-is-new-NCCE-boss-222245 |archive-date=30 April 2019 |access-date=2019-04-30 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, she was appointed chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Osei appointed new EC Chairperson - Government of Ghana |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/1523-charlotte-osei-appointed-new-ec-chairperson |access-date=2019-04-30 |website=Government of Ghana |archive-date=22 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022054441/http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/1523-charlotte-osei-appointed-new-ec-chairperson |url-status=dead }}</ref> and she presided as the Returning Officer for Ghana's 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election 2016 will be very transparent - Charlotte Osei {{!}} Ghana Election 2016 |url=http://www.africanelections.org/ghana/news_detail.php?nws=7412&t=Election%202016%20will%20be%20very%20transparent%20-%20Charlotte%20Osei |access-date=2019-04-30 |website=African elections}}</ref> She was the first female to be appointed as the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.<ref name="law.queensu.ca"/> In May 2019, the United Nations appointed Charlotte Osei as an International Non Voting Electoral Commissioner to Afghanistan, this was confirmed by a Presidential Decree issued by the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Osei appointed UN International Elections Commissioner |url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/politics/2019/May-27th/charlotte-osei-appointed-un-international-elections-commissioner.php |access-date=2019-05-29 |website=Myjoyonline}}</ref> As a Non Voting Electoral Commissioner she provided guidance to the Commission in the preparation and drafting of all election related regulations and policies, and support in the adjudication of complaints in a fair, independent and legal manner to ensure electoral justice throughout the entire electoral cycle.
== Controversies and allegations == On 28 June 2018, Osei was removed following a committee set up by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo to investigate complaints and corruption allegations leveled against her.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-06-28 |title=Why was the EC Boss, Charlotte Osei sacked? - Asembi.com |language=en-US |work=Asembi. |url=https://asembi.com/why-was-the-ec-boss-charlotte-osei-sacked/ |access-date=2018-06-28 |archive-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628235408/https://asembi.com/why-was-the-ec-boss-charlotte-osei-sacked/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Akufo-Addo sacks Charlotte Osei, two deputies |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-sacks-Charlotte-Osei-two-deputies-664333 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628233934/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-sacks-Charlotte-Osei-two-deputies-664333 |archive-date=28 June 2018 |access-date=2018-06-28 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> The committee was set up based on the provision stipulated under Article 146(4) of the Ghanaian constitution, the recommendations of the committee required Osei to be removed due to misbehavior pursuant to Article 146(1) of the constitution.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://citinewsroom.com/2018/06/28/akufo-addo-removes-charlotte-osei-two-deputies-from-office/|title=Akufo-Addo removes Charlotte Osei, two deputies from office|date=2018-06-28|work=Citi Newsroom|access-date=2018-06-28|language=en-US}}</ref> The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo in accordance with the recommendations and provisions of Article156(9) of the Ghanaian constitution directed her immediate removal from office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/charlotte-osei-and-two-ec-deputies-removed.html|location=Accra, Ghana|title=Charlotte Osei and two EC deputies sacked|last=Frimpong|first=Enoch Darfah|access-date=2018-06-28|language=en-gb|newspaper=Daily Graphic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/politics/2018/June-28th/breaking-news.php|title=Breaking News: Charlotte Osei, two others removed|access-date=2018-06-28|language=en-US}}</ref> The immediate past Chair of the Electoral Commission breached procurement laws in awarding several contracts prior to 2016 Ghana elections, a report by the committee that investigated her indicated.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2018/june-29th/leaked-report-details-why-ec-boss-was-sacked.php|title=Leaked report details why EC Boss was sacked|access-date=2018-06-30|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630161902/https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2018/june-29th/leaked-report-details-why-ec-boss-was-sacked.php|archive-date=30 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Osei indicated that she would respond to the accusations made against her later. She was delaying her response due to the sudden death of the immediate Vice President of Ghana, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 July 2018 |title=Charlotte Osei steps out in style after sack as EC Chairperson |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Charlotte-Osei-steps-out-in-style-after-sack-as-EC-Chairperson-665307 |accessdate=7 July 2018 |website= |publisher=AfricaWeb Publishing B.V}}</ref> The grounds for her dismissal are being challenged in the Supreme Court of Ghana by two separate writs filed by Fafali Nyonator and Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, a newspaper editor in Ghana.<ref name="baako"/>
== Awards and recognition == * 1991 Volta Hall Award, Best Arts Results, First University Examinations, University of Ghana<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nyabor |first=Jonas |date=2015-06-26 |title=New EC boss' full CV |url=https://citifmonline.com/2015/06/new-ec-boss-full-cv/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always |language=en-US}}</ref> *Charlotte Osei was awarded a 'Women Of Courage' award by Robert P. Jackson., the United states ambassador to Ghana.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Charlotte Osei gets honored with top award by US gov't amidst her troubles in Ghana |language=en-US |work=Yen - Ghana news. |url=https://yen.com.gh/97203-charlotte-osei-honored-top-award-by-us-govt-troubles-ghana.html#97203 |access-date=2018-06-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghana |first=U. S. Embassy in |date=2017-08-24 |title=Presentation of Woman of Courage Award to Electoral Commission Chair Charlotte Osei Remarks by Ambassador Robert P. Jackson |url=https://gh.usembassy.gov/presentation-woman-courage-award-electoral-commission-chair-charlotte-osei-remarks-ambassador-robert-p-jackson/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=U.S. Embassy in Ghana |language=en-US}}</ref> *PPP Skills & Competency Development, Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA (2009)<ref name="ghanaweb.com"/> *Basic & Advanced Securities, Securities Selling & Investment Advice, Ghana Stock Exchange, Accra (1997)<ref name="ghanaweb.com"/> *1992 Ghana Bar Association, Excellence, LLB Final Examinations, University of Ghana<ref name="ghanaweb.com"/>
==Publications== *“''Citizenship, Customary Law and a Gendered Jurisprudence: A Socio-Legal Perspective.''” by C. Kesson-Smith and W. Tettey in "Critical Perspectives on Politics and Socio-Economic Development in Ghana" (African social studies series), Brill Publishers, 25 Apr 2003, editors: Tettey, Wisdom J., Puplampu, Korbla P., Berman, Joshua<ref>{{cite web |title=Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei ( Electoral Commission Chairperson) |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=1397 |accessdate=5 July 2018 |website= |publisher=AfricaWeb Publishing B.V.}}</ref>
== Personal life == Charlotte is married with two kids.<ref>{{Cite web |last=RASHAD |date=2019-02-04 |title=Finally, meet former EC Boss Charlotte Osei's "Secret" handsome husband [Photos] |url=https://www.ghpage.com/ec-boss-charlotte-osei-husband/80273/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=GhPage |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{sister project links|wikt=no|c=Category:Charlotte Osei|n=no|s=no|b=no|voy=no|v=no|d=Q20630282|species=no|m=no|mw=no}} *[https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/You-may-write-me-down-in-history-but-still-like-dust-I-rise-Charlotte-Osei-jabs-669914 You may write me down in history, but still like dust, I rise - Charlotte Osei jabs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719173656/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/You-may-write-me-down-in-history-but-still-like-dust-I-rise-Charlotte-Osei-jabs-669914 |date=19 July 2018 }}
{{s-start}} {{s-bef|before=Kwadwo Afari-Gyan}} {{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Electoral Commission of Ghana |years=2015 – 2018}} {{s-aft|after=Jean Adukwei Mensa}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osei, Charlotte}} Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1969 births Category:University of Ghana alumni Category:Ghana School of Law alumni Category:University of South Africa alumni Category:20th-century Ghanaian lawyers Category:Queen's University at Kingston alumni Category:Ghana National College alumni Category:21st-century Ghanaian lawyers Category:Electoral commissioners of Ghana Category:20th-century Ghanaian women lawyers Category:21st-century Ghanaian women lawyers