Bagbin tells Ghana Law Society and Bar Association to cooperate, not compete

Pinned summary · as of 07:24

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has appealed to Ghana's two lawyers' bodies, the Ghana Law Society and the Ghana Bar Association, to avoid turning their coexistence into a contest. He made the appeal in Accra on Wednesday, 30 September, at the Ghana Law Society's first yearly conference for the profession.

What we know

• Mr Bagbin used the Ghana Law Society's inaugural Annual Bar Conference in Accra on Wednesday to urge the society and the Ghana Bar Association to work in step rather than let the existence of two bodies split the legal profession.
• In his view, having more than one professional body should open space for a variety of ideas and should not produce rival camps among lawyers. He cautioned that such a plurality must not harden into institutional rivalry.
• Mr Bagbin said the profession as a whole is larger than either association and asked the leadership of both to cooperate where their interests meet. The areas he listed were law reform, continuing education, legal ethics, legal aid, research, technology, the delivery of justice, judicial independence, mentorship and access to justice.
• The Speaker warned lawmakers against pushing bills through Parliament without adequate consultation with stakeholders and experts, and argued that consulting widely before legislating strengthens, rather than diminishes, the House's standing.
• He challenged lawyers to take the lead on the questions that new technology raises, with artificial intelligence among the issues mentioned.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Graphic Online reported that Mr Bagbin formally launched the Ghana Law Society at the conference, and that officials including Chief of Staff Dr Julius Debrah and Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine were in the audience; the other reports do not mention a launch or the guest list.
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  Onua Online reported that Mr Bagbin told the lawyers some of them were "unguided missiles" and said that skills and qualifications mean little without good character. This has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  According to Onua Online, the Speaker cautioned lawyers against exploiting people's ignorance, misleading courts or using privilege to obstruct justice, and encouraged young practitioners and law students to challenge office holders, among them the Speaker, the IGP, the CDS and the President, in civil and decorous language.
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  Onua Online also said Mr Bagbin wanted technology kept under human control and accountability, and that it should speed up cases and widen access to legal information without undermining fairness. Other reports have not confirmed this.
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  Kumasi Mail reported that the Speaker wanted reforms judged by their effect on ordinary citizens, including access to justice, accountability and rights, and said justice and the Constitution belong to the whole country and not to any one association. The conference theme was given as "Legal Reforms: The Place of the Ghanaian Lawyer". No other report has confirmed these points.

Why it matters for Ghana

Lawyers shape how citizens reach the courts, from legal aid to the handling of cases, so tension between their two professional bodies could affect the profession's collective voice. The Speaker's call for early consultation on bills also bears on the quality of laws that businesses and households in Ghana must live with.