Family property occupies a central position in Ghana’s customary land tenure system. Unlike individual ownership, family land is communally owned and held for the collective benefit of persons who trace descent from a common ancestor. The management of family property is entrusted to the family head, who acts not as an owner but as a trustee and fiduciary.
Modern Ghanaian land law has transformed the customary role of the family head into a legally regulated institution governed by statutory duties, constitutional accountability, and judicial oversight. The Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), together with long-established case law, now provides a comprehensive framework for the administration, alienation, accountability, and protection of family property.