This page aims to provide access to legal texts related to forest and natural resource governance in Ghana and is a resource which will be regularly updated and improved upon. You can find more information and analysis on our resources page.
Below you will find links to PDF files of the forest and wildlife related legal texts. If you are looking for laws and/or regulations relating to other natural resources don’t hesitate to contact us (forests-contact@clientearth.org) so we can check whether we have the text you are looking for in our database.
Please note that the documents listed below have been gathered from different public sources and are by no means the property of ClientEarth. Where available we have included official texts but not all are the official publications, and therefore can contain mistakes.
ClientEarth has also created a law database of the main policies, laws and regulations governing forest conversion in Ghana.
Constitutional law
Constitution of the Republic of Ghana – 1992 – Document
Constitution Review Commission Research Report – 2011 – Document
White paper on the report of the Constitution Review Commission of Inquiry – Document
Forests, Climate and wildlife policy
The new 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy – Document
The previous 1995 Forest and Wildlife Policy – Document
1996 Forestry development master plan (based on 1995 policy) – Document
National Climate Change Policy 2013 – Document
National Environmental Policy 2012 – Document
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016 – Document
Action Plan on National Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security (2016-2020) – Document
Legal Framework of the Forest Sector
The Forest Act, 1927 (CAP 157) – Document
The Concessions Act, 1939 (CAP 136) – Document
The Concessions Act, 1962 (CAP 124) – Document
The Timber operations government participation Act, 1972 (N.R.C.D. 139) – Document
The Forest Protection Act, 1974 (N.R.C.D. 243) – Document
The Trees and timber Act, 1974 (N.R.C.D. 273) – Document
The Control and Prevention of Bushfires Act, 1990 (P.N.D.C.L. 229) – Document
The Timber Resources Management Act, 1998 (Act 547) – Document
The Timber Resources Management Regulation, 1998 (L.I.1649) – Document
Timber Resources Management (Amendment) Regulation, 2003 (L.I. 1721) – Document
The Timber Resources Management (Legality Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I.2184) – Document
Timber Resources Management and Legality Licensing Regulation 2017 (L.I. 2254) – Document
The Forestry Commission Act, 1999 (Act 571) – Document
The Forest Plantation Development Fund Act 2000 (Act 583) – Document
Economic Plant Protection Act, 1979 – Document
Tree Crops Policy – Document
Cocoa Industry (Regulation) Act, 1968 – Document
Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 – Document
Legal Framework of the Wildlife Sector
Wild Animals Preservation Act, 1961 (Act 43) – Document
Wildlife Conservation Regulation, 1971 (L.I. 685) – Document
Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Regulation, 1983 (L.I. 1284) – Document
Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Regulation, 1988 (L.I. 1357) – Document
Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Regulation, 1989 (L.I. 1452) – Document
Wildlife Reserves Regulations, 1971 (L.I. 710) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1974 (L.I. 881) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1975 (L.I. 1022) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1976 (L.I. 1085) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1977 (L.I. 1105) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1983 (L.I. 1283) – Document
Wildlife Reserve (Amendment) Regulation, 1991 (L.I. 1525) – Document
Wetland management (Ramsar Sites) Regulations, 1999 (L.I. 1659) – Document
Legal Framework of the Land Sector
National Land Policy ,1999 – Document
Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 – Document
Lands Commission Act, 2008 – Document
The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands Act, 1994 – Document
Administration of Lands Act 1962 – Document
Administration of Lands Regulations 1963 (L.I. 283) – Document
State Lands Act, 1962 – Document
State Lands Regulations , 1962 (L.I. 230) – Document
Land Title Registration Act, 1986 – Document
Land Title Registration Regulation, 1986 (L.I. 1341) – Document
Farm Lands (Protection) Act , 1962 – Document
Some Handpicked Laws of interest to the private sector
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 – Document
The Labour Act, 2003 – Document
Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1987 – Document
Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010 – Document
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice Act 1993 – Document
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (Complaint Procedure) Regulation, 1994 (C.I. 7) – Document
Some Handpicked Laws related to gender
National Gender and Children Policy, 2004 – Document
National Gender Policy 2015 – Document
Intestate Succession Act, 1985 – Document
Some Handpicked International Treaties
Framework Convention on Climate Change – Document
Paris Agreement – Document
Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) – Document
Cartagena protocol on biosafety to the convention on biological diversity – text and annexes – Document
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO) – Document
UN Convention against Corruption – Document
UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Document
UN Convention to combat desertification – Document
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People – Document
International Cocoa Agreement – Document
International Coffee Agreement – Document
Regional treaties ratified by Ghana
African Charter on human and people’s rights – Document
African Convention on Combating Corruption – Document
African Convention on the conservation of nature and natural resources – Document
Protocol to the African charter on human and peoples’ rights – the establishment of an African court – Document
VPA UE-Ghana – Document