SC@150: Komfo Anokye’s “777 Laws” Was Asanteman’s Early Constitution- Manhyia Museum Director

The 777 laws of Komfo Anokye are the foundation of Asante and Akan customary law, serving as an early constitution to prevent the collapse of the state, according to Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Director of the Manhyia Museum.

Speaking at the Supreme Court’s 150th Anniversary lecture on July 16, 2026, the historian said Osei Tutu I and Komfo Anokye recognised after their war of liberation that empires collapse when laws are not codified.

“They concluded that empires collapse easily and societies disintegrate quickly when civil wars arise in contexts where laws are not codified—largely because such norms remain unwritten and unenforced,” he said.

Mr Agyeman-Duah stated that the governance structures and laws established 300 years ago still regulate family, marriage, property rights, land tenure and inheritance in traditional society today.

He noted similar codified systems existed among coastal cultures from Keta through the Ga states.

“These norms have never been sacrosanct; they have undergone self-review, national reform, and constitutional amendment,” he added, citing their incorporation into the 1992 Constitution, which also affirms chieftaincy.

Mr Agyeman-Duah said the fusion of these traditions with modern law has helped Ghana sustain 30 years of constitutional rule.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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