The Director of the Ghana School of Law (GSL), Barima Yaw Kodie Oppong, has said that many legal practitioners in the country render their services for free even when they have to be paid.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Law, he explained that this is because in Ghana some clients do not pay for the services such as consultation, unless they are seeking the services that lead to a court case.
Mr Oppong told the host, Samson Lardy Anyenini that “the ordinary person who has come to lay your tiles and has charged you per square meter, doesn’t see why he should even pay you as a lawyer. He’ll say “oh boss my landlord has thrown my things out’ but, he doesn't think that the advice you are giving him is worth any charging.”
He said although originally the objective of the profession was not to render legal service for fees, over time it has been acknowledged that it is a business.
Mr Oppong said practising law is not a profession where lawyers should get paid only when they go to court or win cases.
“I perform a service, you pay me. A lot of lawyers are doing free work where they should have charged. Sometimes, the rules make it seem as if this is a profession that makes people perform a service without expectation of remuneration but at the same time, it is also a business…The law has prescribed strictly how that business is to be rendered and the fees for it,”he said.
The GSL Director added that “it is not how much to be taken but how it should be taken. That is why there are a number of cases where when a lawyer has not specifically entered into an agreement with a client, the case is ended and he sends a bill and the court says no to that. From the beginning, you did not even tell him this is how much I'll charge you or even when you have charged the person, give him prior notice to pay this amount. So not even giving a notice to your own client can be a problem.”
Mr Oppong said that the profession is guided by rules that sometimes when they benefit the lawyer cannot be enforced, but when they go against the lawyer, they can easily be enforced.
“If you were to follow strictly these rules, a lot of Ghanaians cannot access these services. People think talking about law (on TV shows and programmes) I am charging, and they think that is how I make my money,” he said, adding that although that is how it should be, in Ghana that is not the case.
Mr Oppong said that these rules need to be looked at again. “We should recognise the business aspect of it and also the fact that we are also called upon to render service without claiming any deal and merge it. And when these matters come up the general public should understand that we have rendered free services as well.”
Latest Stories
-
Works and Housing Ministry seeks lasting solutions to challenges with stakeholders engagement
9 mins -
President’s statement on GRA-SML contract underlines Fourth Estate’s revelation – MFWA
13 mins -
Director urges parents to protect children from abuse
50 mins -
Imani-Ghana criticises Akufo-Addo for not lauding Fourth Estate’s contribution to social development
57 mins -
Man remanded for allegedly stabbing businessman with broken bottle and screwdriver
1 hour -
Population in Kumasi Central Prison surges to 1800, threefold exceeding capacity
2 hours -
NPP to conduct La Dadekotopon parliamentary primary today
2 hours -
KPMG’s report on GRA and SML deal, government white paper on report and matters arising
2 hours -
I won’t reply to Chris Brown tour criticism – Ayra Star
2 hours -
British Columbia to back off drug decriminalisation project
2 hours -
Veteran commentator Joe Lartey Sr dies at 96
2 hours -
Livestream: Newsfile discusses KPMG report on SML deal, ILO on SSNIT reserves and NDC’s running mate
2 hours -
Ghanaian activist hugs over 1,100 trees in an hour to set Guinness World Records
2 hours -
Mathew Anim Cudjoe’s Dundee United promoted to Scottish Premiership after Championship win
2 hours -
NSMQ star Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland sweeps 12 awards at UG Vice-Chancellor’s Ceremony
3 hours