The Ghana Bar Association is seeking urgent reforms for what it describes as the “outdated” jury trial  within Ghana’s Criminal justice system.

The Bar is also concerned about the rampant culture of missing documents that has plagued the administration of justice in Ghana.

These were contained in a resolution passed at the end of the 2017-2018 Conference held by members of the Bar at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region in September.

 

Read the full resolution below:

RESOLUTIONS  OF THE  GHANA  BAR ASSOCIATION  PASSED  AT ITS  2017 /2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE   HELD  IN SUNYANI FROM11th  TO  15TH  SEPTEMBER 2017

WE THE MEMBERS OF THE GHANA  BAR ASSOCIATION, HEREIN ASSEMBLED  AT  THE   ANNUAL  CONFERENCE   OF  THE   BAR,  at  the EUSBETT  INTERNATIONAL  CONFERENCE  CENTRE,   Sunyani,   in  the Brong   Ahafo   Region,   stand   in   harmony   with   the   'objectives   of   the Government  and   People  of  Ghana  for  the   promotion   of  freedom  and justice.

RECOGNISING that the principle of the rule of law ensures access to justice and sustainable development.                                           ·

ACKNOWLEDGING  that democracy thrives in an  environment of the rule of law and efficient administration of justice.

EMPHASISING the havoc being wrecked on our environment by illegal mining, illegal  logging  of timber,  the pollution  of our water  bodies,  and the decimation of our vegetative and forest cover.

NOTING  the  essential  role of the  Legal  Profession  in  the  economic, political  and  social  advancement of the country  and  in  the fight against the Scourge of Corruption and  Environmental  Degradation.

ASSERTING   the   vital    role   the   Legal    Profession   plays    in   the administration   of justice   and   strengthening   the   growth   of   state institutions in our country.

CONSCIOUS of the falling ethical standards within the Legal Profession and  the  need  to  take  vigorous steps to  rectify this  anomaly  through education, training and appropriate regulations.

MINDFUL  of the critical  role of the Bar  in  nation  building  and the need to  jealously  guard  its  independence  as  well  as  to  ensure  its  social relevance.

HEREBY RESOLVE AND DECLARE AS FOLLOWS:

 

MATTERS AFFECTING THE LEGAL PROFESSION

1. This  Association,  conscious  that  its  core  obligations  under  its constitution  include, the duty to defend and  uphold freedom and justice  in  Ghana,  the  maintenance of the  honour,  independence and  integrity of the  legal  profession and  the  maintenance of the independence of the Judiciary and  all  bodies  concerned with the administration of justice in the country, will vigorously defend or criticize,  as the case may be,  persons  or institutions  charged  with the  administration  of  justice  in  this  country,  with  a   view  to upholding  the rule of law and ensuring a  law abiding citizenry,  and a  responsible and fair Judiciary.

2. The  Bar,  while  protecting  the  Judiciary  in  the  fair  and   lawful exercise  of  their  duties,  will  not  condone  any  semblance  of corruption  and  or misconduct on the Bench.  The Bar deplores the attitude of disrespect and discourtesy shown by certain judges and magistrates  in  the courts,  and  urges  the Executives  of the Bar  to bring such misbehavior to the attention of the Chief Justice for her necessary action.

3. The GBA,  in  upholding  the rule of  law  and  continually  promoting an  upright  Bar and Bench,  urges  members of the Legal  Profession to  desist  from  any  practices  that  could  bring  the  image  of the Profession  and  the  administration  of  justice  as   a   whole  into disrepute.

4. The members of  the  Bar  re-dedicate  themselves to the ethics  of the  profession  and  conduct  themselves and  their  duties  to  the court,  colleague  lawyers,  clients  and   the  general   public  in  a manner that befits the dignity of the Legal Profession.

5. The  Executives  of  the  Bar  must  revive  the  bench-bar-faculty lectures/seminars   so   as   to   foster   a    healthy   and   interactive relationship between the Bar, the Bench and Academia.

6. The Bar calls for urgent reforms of Ghana's criminal justice system and its now outdated, criminal procedure rules generally,  but particularly the rules relating to jury trials.

7. The   Bar   affirms   its   commitment   to   ensuring    professional competence  of  our members with  the continuous  assessment  of the  Continuing  Legal  Education  programmes  and  projects to  be run by the Bar's Continuing  Legal Education Institute.

8. The GBA expresses serious concern about the rampant incidents of missing dockets  at the  courts and  urges the  Judicial  Service to ensure that  the  Registrars  of  the  various courts  take  steps  to effectively  monitor movements of dockets and also to be proactive in generating temporary dockets, where necessary, to facilitate expeditious determination of cases.

9. The Bar  urges  members to continue to provide  pro-bona and legal

-aid  services  to  the  poor  and  deprived  in  society  who otherwise may not be able to afford  legal services.

10. The GBA calls for the amendment of the Legal Profession Act to vest the Bar with the authority to discipline lawyers.

11. Recognizing  the  importance of experience and  professional learning  to  its  membership,  the  Bar  urges  the  General  Legal Council,   together   with   the   General   Council   of  the   Bar,   to strengthen the pupillage system to ensure new lawyers are trained adequately thereby assuring an effective and efficient service and assistance to clients and the courts.

12.The  General  Council  of the  Bar  takes  steps  to  amend  its current Constitution to allow for broader representation of membership of the association on the General Council of the Bar.

13.The  Bar  expresses its  appreciation  to  the  President,  Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,  President of the Republic  of Ghana for his attendance and address to the conference.

 

MATTERS AFFECTING THE NATION

1.  The  Bar  congratulates  the  Media  Coalition  against  galamsey for  their  resolute  and  steadfast  campaign against  illegal  mining  and would urge the public to guard  against any  return  to the levels of environmental degradation seen in the recent past.

2.  The Bar also  commends the Government for setting  up  the task force  against  illegal  mining  and   urges  Government  to  further ensure that the institutions mandated to protect our environment, forest  and  water  bodies  are  properly  resourced to  fulfill  their mandate.

3.  The GBA urges  the State  to take appropriate  measures to protect and safeguard the environment nationally and, on the international level, to support initiatives and programmes that promote the sustainability of the environment

4. Whilst we commend the  Government for  implementing  the  free SHS scheme,   we urge Government  to ensure its  sustainability  as well  as  ensuring  that  the  facilities  and  programmes  of tertiary institutions are updated and expanded early enough to accommodate  the  products  of  the  free  SHS   scheme  thereby assuring  the  needed  quality throughout the education  system  in Ghana.

5.  The GBA encourages Government and  State Institutions charged with the prevention and enforcement of laws against corruption to intensify  their  efforts  to  eradicate  all   forms  of  corruption  by ensuring  the  protection  and  preservation  of  public  property,   and by exposing and combating  the misuse and waste  of public funds and  property  in  line  with  Art 35(8),  36(9)  and  41(f)  of  the  1992 Constitution of the Fourth  Republic of Ghana.

6.  The GBA urges that the fight against corruption and environmental degradation  be sustained  through  an  affirmative,  relentless  and patriotic resolve by all Ghanaians, with consistent and appropriate sanctions applied to those found guilty by the law.

7.  We call on  all  political  actors  to  consciously  work  towards the eradication  of  the general perception  that  the primary  motivation of serving in public office is to amass ill gotten wealth which perception   has  fueled  serious  distrust  and   negativity  towards political office holders thereby undermining their patriotic fervor.

8.  The GSA affirms its commitment to upholding the independence of the Judiciary and  the rule of law  and reassures the public that the Bar will never shirk its duty to take steps to defend and protect the independence and integrity of the Judiciary.

9. The GSA  expresses concern about the  influx  of  mushroom universities   providing   substandard   education   and   urges   the National Accreditation Board to properly scrutinize and assess institutions  before granting  them accreditation  and  to effectively regulate and ensure that existing universities meet internationally recognized standards.

10.The GBA calls on all  institutions charged  with  civic education to educate the  public on the ills of corruption and environmental degradation devoid of partisan and parochial  interests.

11. The Association  regrets the situation  where since changes in political  administration  have,  ipso  facto,  led  to removals, ·transfers and  changes in  the civil  and  public  services  contrary to the labour laws and the 1992 Constitution which abhor termination or change in employment on political grounds, and thus call on all politicians, opinion leaders and others to work towards reversing this trend in order to continuously strengthen our institutions, the foundation of our democratic development.

MATTERS AFFECTING THE INTERNATIONAL  COMMUNITY

1.  The  GBA  condemns the  recent  threats  to  and  attacks  on  Judges  of the  Supreme  Court  of the  Republic  of  Kenya  after  the  delivery  of their verdict following the election petition adjudication. The GBA considers  such  attacks  to  be an  attack  on the  rule of  law  and  must be condemned  by all.

2. The  GBA  calls  on  all  political  actors  in  Kenya  to  exercise  maturity and    decorum    in    their   utterances   during   the    re-run    of   the presidential election and wishes the  people of the  Republic of Kenya free,  fair and  peaceful  proceedings  in  their forthcoming  elections.

3. We call on  ECOWAS  to  endeavor  to  get  the  Political  actors  in  Togo to  a   peace  conference  to  find  a   lasting  political  solution  to  the Togolese    problem.    In    the    meantime   we    urge   the    Togolese Government  and  the   people  of  Togo  to  ensure  the  protection  of human  rights  and  abide  by the  rule of law.

4. The  GBA  resolves  to  protect the  sanctity  of the  rule  of law and  to support the  promotion  of democratic governance  in  all  States  and  at all  times.

DATED  IN  SUNYANI  THIS  14TH  DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2017

Signed 

Benson Nutsukpui (National President)                                                                                     Justin Agbeli Amenuvo (National Secretary)