Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor
The Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has berated the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) following reports of the association passing a resolution to call on President John Dramani Mahama to revoke the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In a post shared on social media on Sunday, April 27, 2025, Dafeamekpor, who is a lawyer himself, 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 part(ies). What the GBA leadership is engaged in is a front to the administration of justice and has the propensity to torpedo the independence of the judiciary they ostensibly seek to protect,” the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament wrote.
He asserted that the resolution was politically motivated, urging President Mahama to ignore it if it is indeed brought before him.
“This reported call by the GBA is very partisan & prejudicial as it affects a matter sub judice.
“The GBA leadership, like Caesar’s wife, must live above reproach. I urge His Excellency, the President, to ignore this illicit public call by the GBA leadership as if same was never made, for it is a wrong call. It is better for a law to be wrong than for a wrong to be law,” his post concluded.
Background:
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has reportedly passed a resolution to call on President John Dramani Mahama to revoke the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
According to a report by thelawplatform.online, the resolution was passed at the GBA’s Mid-Year Conference held at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on April 26, 2025.
The report indicated that members of the Bar were displeased with the suspension of the Chief Justice after getting details of the three petitions for her removal.
They were also not happy with the determination of a prima facie case in the three petitions filed for Justice Torkornoo’s removal by President Mahama and the Council of State.
The members of the GBA also expressed their displeasure with the leadership of the association over a statement issued on the ongoing process for the removal of the Chief Justice.
They indicated that they were not happy with the import and tone of the statement, which was dated April 24, 2025.
The GBA also indicated that it was going to present a petition challenging the removal of the Chief Justice.
Read the MP’s full statement below:
1. If news that the Ghana Bar Association has passed a Resolution to demand that the Prez reverses the Warrant of Suspension of CJ Torkonoo is accurate, then the leadership of the Ghana Bar Association must be ashamed because this case is presently pending before the Supreme… pic.twitter.com/1kGlvNcrCe
— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) April 27, 2025
BAI//MA
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