The Ghana Bar Association (GBA), at its 2025 Mid-Year Conference held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, on April 26, 2025, reportedly passed a resolution to call on President John Dramani Mahama to revoke the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
The resolution comes after an initial statement by the association, which stated that it was keenly following the processes on the petitions for the removal of the Chief Justice and urged that the rule of law must prevail.
Before coming to the resolution, the association’s leadership reportedly stated that the initial statement was written without the benefit of the details of the petitions and Justice Torkornoo’s response.
A number of notable Ghanaians have since called out the GBA over its reported resolution.
Here is what they have said.
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare:
Renowned US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, is one of the notable Ghanaians who have criticised the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) over its resolution for the revocation of Chief Justice Torkornoo’s suspension.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, April 27, 2025, Professor Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, noted that the new development indicates that the association has regained its voice under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
However, he pointed out that until the GBA addresses the constitutional issues surrounding the actions of the Chief Justice, which have led to the petition for her removal, it should suspend its resolution calling for President Mahama to revoke the suspension of Gertrude Torkornoo.
“Less than a week after calling for the rule of law to prevail, the GBA has reversed course — now urging the president to revoke the suspension of the Chief Justice.
“It’s good that the GBA has finally found its voice,” Azar wrote on X.
He continued, “We would now like to hear that voice on these pressing constitutional matters. Until the GBA meaningfully addresses these serious constitutional questions, it ought to suspend its resolution calling for the revocation of the Chief Justice’s suspension.”
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor:
The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has also berated the Ghana Bar Association over its reported resolution.
In a post shared on social media on Sunday, April 27, 2025, Dafeamekpor, who is a lawyer, indicated that the resolution, if indeed true, amounts to contempt of the power of the Supreme Court.
He pointed out that the action of the GBA also amounts to an interference with the functions of the judiciary and a violation of the code of conduct for lawyers in Ghana.
“Our very own Code of Conduct, the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct & Etiquette) Rules, 2020, LI 2423, forbids any lawyer or leaders of any lawyers’ grouping from running any such unguarded commentaries or making such unprofessional public demands on a live case. Indeed, Regulation 89(c) of LI 2423, 2020 states as follows: ‘a lawyer commits professional misconduct where the lawyer engages in a conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice’.
“The above provision forbids any member of the Bar or its leaders from upending the rights of one party in a case against the other parties. What the GBA leadership is engaged in is an affront to the administration of justice and has the propensity to torpedo the independence of the judiciary they ostensibly seek to protect,” the Minority Chief Whip of Parliament wrote.
Franklin Cudjoe:
Another notable Ghanaian who has called out the GBA is the Founder and President, Franklin Cudjoe.
Franklin Cudjoe asserted that the association has been silent during the 8 years of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, and their resolution must be ignored.
He said that the GBA was silent when the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) were disenfranchised and had no representation in the 8th Parliament.
“… The GBA has not been a serious and credible voice these past 8 years. I heard no word on the SALL debacle from them. Ignore them!!” he wrote on Facebook on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Dr Clement Apaak:
The Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has also called out the GBA over its resolution.
In a post shared on Facebook, Dr Apaak said that the demand of the association has no justification and amounts to asking the president to set aside the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
“It is most unreasonable for any group to demand of a president to jettison his constitutional duty because it is displeased. Has President Mahama violated any law or done anything untoward in his handling of the petitions against the Chief Justice? Certainly not. If the GBA thinks otherwise, the courts are there,” he wrote.
He added that the association should rather be praising the president for following due process on the petition for the removal of the Chief Justice.
“In fact, the GBA should rather applaud President Mahama for his fidelity to the supreme law of the land, the constitution. An association of lawyers asking a president to abandon his constitutional duty, my goodness!” he said.
BAI/AE
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