Ghanaian leaders urge unity between legal professional bodies

At the maiden Annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Law Society (GLS), leaders and officials addressed the emergence of the new professional body and its relationship with the established Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin urged both organizations to avoid institutional rivalry, stating that professional pluralism should encourage diverse ideas rather than competing camps. He emphasized that the legal profession must remain united around the constitution and national interest, proposing structured cooperation in areas such as law reform, legal aid, and judicial independence.

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah also cautioned against allowing partisan politics to influence professional conduct, warning that associations risk losing credibility if they become extensions of political contests. He encouraged the GLS to build its reputation through consistency and fairness.

To address the concentration of legal services in major cities, GLS President Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor proposed a 12-month national service programme for newly qualified lawyers. The initiative aims to deploy lawyers to underserved districts, legal aid offices, and judicial services to improve access to justice in areas where professional services are currently limited.