Ghanaian official criticizes bar association leadership
In Ghana, Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice Justice Srem-Sai said that the leadership of the Ghana Bar Association lacks independence and consistency in its responses to public statements by judges. His statement came amid criticism by association president Efua Ghartey of comments made by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story programme on September 14, Srem-Sai said that an organization’s independence must be demonstrated by its actions and conduct, rather than merely declared. In his view, the same principle applies to consistency in decisions and public positions.
Chief Justice’s comments
The dispute arose after Baffoe-Bonnie’s visit to the Ghana Minerals Income Investment Fund on September 2. During the visit, the Chief Justice praised the fund and other state institutions under the current administration. He also said that the changes he saw made him wonder what the country had been doing over the previous eight years.
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Efua Ghartey called these remarks inappropriate while speaking at the Ghana Bar Association’s 2026/27 conference in Ada. As MyJoyOnline reports, Srem-Sai noted that the discussion concerned the association’s response to this speech, rather than whether Baffoe-Bonnie’s words were political.
Uniform standards
The official said that if the association considers comments by heads of the judiciary that may be perceived as political to be unacceptable, this standard must apply to all similar statements by heads of the judiciary or other judges. According to him, selective condemnation of such statements calls into question the consistency and independence of the professional organization’s leadership.
