The Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Saviour Kudze, has expressed concerns over Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame’s reaction to the Court of Appeal judgment on the ambulance case.

The Court acquitted and discharged the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa, the third accused in a 2:1 decision that overturned the previous order from the trial court, which required Dr Ato Forson and Mr Jakpa to open their defence.

In reaction to this, the Attorney General described the Appeals Court’s judgment as 'perverse,' 'grossly unfair,' and 'erroneous.'

Read also: Godfred Dame’s choice of words after Ambulance case ruling unnecessary – GBA

However, speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Mr Kudze emphasised the importance of maintaining respect for the judicial system and cautioned against the use of overly harsh language in public statements.

“We are not against the Attorney General disagreeing with the judgment of the court. The choice of words and the manner it was done is the issue,” he said on Saturday.

He explained “If you read the statement issued, you will realize that he was just trying to say ‘I disagree with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, I will go over.’ If he had just said that, I am not sure that we would have had problems with him, but to use words like ‘erroneous, inimical,’ that is where we have problems with him.”

Mr Kudze warned that when lawyers use strong language to criticise court decisions, it can undermine public trust in the legal process.

“If we as lawyers describe the decisions of the Court with such strong words, what will we say to non-lawyers who may not appreciate the work that we do as lawyers?” he questioned.

He further opined that there was no need for a public statement following the judgment.

According to Kudze, a more appropriate response would have been to accept the court's decision, review it, and provide professional advice accordingly.

“Personally, I don’t even think there was a need for a statement after the judgment. As lawyers, what we all say is ‘If that is the decision of the court, I accept it, I will apply it, review it, and advise accordingly.’ I think that would have been the end of the matter,” he stated.

Mr Kudze subsequently urged the legal community to avoid creating the impression that they must always win in court.

“Let us not create the impression as if we must always win. I don’t think life is about that; sometimes you lose, sometimes you win,” he said.