Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Boafo, has called for sanctions against Members of Parliament who are lawyers and were involved in recent protests and chaotic scenes in Parliament.
According to him, such actions are unbecoming of legal practitioners and damage the integrity of the legal profession.
Speaking to the media on Monday, June 23, Mr. Boafo condemned lawyer-MPs who participated in the Minority caucus’ sit-down protest at the offices of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to demand the release of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
He also referenced the vetting altercation in Parliament which saw some lawyer-MPs throwing punches and breaking tables, describing their conduct as “theatrics” that have no place in the practice of law.
“As lawyers, theatrics is not part of our profession. No lawyer goes to sit on the floor asking for bail. What you do is engage the investigator and see whether it will be granted or not, or you go to court,” he said.
Mr. Boafo expressed particular disappointment in Minority Leader and Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and other lawyer-MPs who took part in the protest, stating that their actions have set a bad example for the legal community.
“These images don’t look good for us — that lawyers can now engage in theatrics. The non-lawyers amongst them, I can forgive. But the Minority Leader and the others who are lawyers, I have a problem with them,” he added.
The former GBA boss stressed that lawyers, whether in politics or not, must uphold ethical standards in all settings.
“When you’re a lawyer, you don’t have to only suffer sanctions because you did something in a courtroom. Whether you are in public office or not, if your conduct amounts to misconduct, you should face sanctions,” he stated.
