According to the Programme Director of Save the Children in Accra, the Children's Act, 1998 (Act 560) was signed into law in December 1998 (16 Dec. 1999). Save the Children assisted in drafting the legislation and helped ensure its passage through the Ghanaian parliament (Save the Children n.d.).

The Children's Act, 1998 contains provisions relating to child marriage. Section 14 of Sub-Part I of the Act states as follows:

14. Right to refuse betrothal and marriage-

(1) No person shall force a child-

(a) to be betrothed;

(b) to be the subject of a dowry transaction; or

(c) to be married.

(2) The minimum age of marriage of any kind shall be eighteen years.

Section 15 of Sub-Part I of the Act provides penalties for contravention:

Any person who contravenes a provision of this Sub-Part commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ¢5 million or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both (Ghana 5 Feb. 1999).

At the time of writing 5 million Ghana cedis was equivalent to CDN$2,131.00 (Bloomberg 20 Dec. 1999).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Bloomberg Currency Calculator. 20 December1999 (last update). http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/currency/currcalc.cgi [Accessed 20 Dec. 1999]

Ghana. 5 February 1999 (date of Gazette notification). The Children's Act, 1998. Act 560.

Save the Children. n.d. "What We Do - Where We Work." http://www.scfuk.org.uk/functions/wedo/where.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 1999]

Save the Children, Accra. 16 December 1999. Correspondence from the Programme Director.

IRB databases.

LEXIS-NEXIS.

World News Connection (WNC).

Internet sources including:

The Chronicle.

Daily Graphic.

The Ghanaian Digest.

Ghanaian Newsrunner [Amsterdam].

The Independent.

The Mirror.