Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has urged the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to uphold constitutional principles rather than partisan interests in its public positions.
Addressing the GBA’s Annual General Conference in Wa on September 15, Dr. Ayine expressed concern over what he described as the Association’s selective activism, citing its reaction to the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
“The three committees established under Article 146 complied fully with the constitutional process, and yet the Bar found its voice only in relation to the third petition. Consciously, the voice of the Bar amplified the voice of the opposition,” he argued.
He contrasted this with the Bar’s silence during the removal of former CHRAJ Commissioner Lauretta Lamptey and former Electoral Commission Chair Charlotte Osei, asking pointedly, “The honest question we have to ask ourselves is: what changed?”
Dr. Ayine called on lawyers to rise above partisan divides and serve as defenders of constitutional democracy.
“The lawyer in politics must be a voice of reason, moderation, and constitutionalism. The Bar must speak up, not to please government or opposition, but to defend the rule of law, judicial independence, and the rights of citizens,” he stressed.
