The Speaker is the first officer of the House. He/she is one of the three highest officers of the State, ranking third in the offical order of precedence after the President and the Vice President.

The office of the Speaker was first created in the then Gold Coast, under the Gold Coast(Constitution) Order in Council, 1950. Since then all Constitutions of the land have provided for the election of the Speaker of the Legislature.

The Fourth Republic Constitution provides that the Speaker shall preside in Parliament at all Sittings and in his/her absence, a Deputy Speaker. In the discharge of his/her numerous responsibilities and in the exercise of the powers vested in him/her, the Speaker is expected to be impartial and does not take part in debate on the floor of the House. Behind the scenes, he/she exercises considerable influence in forging consensus on major issues, while fairly and firmly enforcing order and consistently applying the established practices of the House.

 As head of the Parliamentary Institution and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Service Board, the Speaker has ultimate responsibility for the Service. 

 

 Speakers of Parliament (1951 to date)
Name   Period
Sir. Emmanuel Charles Quist   March 1951 - December 1957
Hon. Justice Augustus Molade Akiwumi   February 1958 - June 1960
Hon. Joseph Richard Asiedu   July 1960 - June 1965
Hon. Kofi Asante Ofori Atta   10th June 1965 - 24th February 1966
Hon. Justice Nii Amaa Ollenu   October 1969 - 13th January 1972
Hon. Justice J. Hackenburg Griffiths-Randolph   24th Sept. 1979 - 31st December 1981
     
Under the Fourth Republic    
Rt. Hon. Justice Daniel Francis Annan   7th January 1993 - 6th January 2001
Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey   7th January 2001 - 6th January 2005
Rt. Hon. Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes   7th January 2005 - 6th January 2009
Rt. Hon. Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo   7th January 2009 - 6th January 2013
Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho   7th January 2013 - 6th January 2017
Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye   7th January 2017 - to 6th January 2021
Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin   7th January 2021 - to date