Attorney-General Ayine urges lawyers to help write Ghana's laws, not just read them

Pinned summary · as of 07:24

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has asked Ghana's lawyers to take part in making laws instead of only applying them. He spoke in Accra on Wednesday, 30 September, at the Ghana Law Society's first annual conference, where he also pressed the profession to keep its independence.

What we know

• Mr Ayine told the lawyers gathered in Accra that the profession should be involved at every stage of lawmaking, from the first policy ideas and the drafting of Bills to debate in Parliament and the rollout of new laws.
• He pointed to the Legislative Drafting Division of his office, which writes legislation for ministries, departments and agencies, and said too few lawyers are drawn to that specialised work. He urged the Ghana Law Society to take a close interest in it.
• On the ongoing constitutional reform process, the Attorney-General said lawyers will matter most as proposals turn into draft amendment Bills, and he asked the profession to study the proposals and offer substantive input.
• He named state contracts and public financial management as fields that need specialised legal skill, with lawyers expected to spot weak points in government commitments without needlessly holding up legitimate public transactions.
• Mr Ayine disclosed that his office is working on the Legal Practitioners Standards Board Bill, which must go before Cabinet before it can be sent to Parliament.
• He also called on lawyers to protect their professional independence and to remain ready to question the government and public bodies.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The Vaultz News reported that Mr Ayine warned he would publicly criticise the Ghana Law Society if it ever became aligned with the NDC, and said a politically aligned body risks having its views judged on party lines. Kumasi Mail did not carry these remarks.
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  The Vaultz News also reported that he told lawyers independence should not mean staying out of public debate and should hold whichever party governs, and that he said he does not expect the profession to simply agree with his office. These points were not reported elsewhere.
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  Kumasi Mail reported that the proposed standards Bill is meant to tighten professional standards and discipline for lawyers, including an independent disciplinary mechanism, and that the conference theme was "Legal Reforms: The Place of the Ghanaian Lawyer." No other report has confirmed these details.

Why it matters for Ghana

Laws on contracts, public money and the constitution shape how government business is done and how citizens are protected in Accra, Kumasi and beyond. The Attorney-General's push for more lawyers in drafting and reform work points to a capacity gap in the office that writes the country's legislation. A Bill on lawyers' standards, once it reaches Parliament, would also affect how the profession is regulated and how clients can seek redress.