Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has urged the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to champion constitutionalism and strengthen ethical discipline within the legal profession.
Speaking at the GBA’s Annual Conference in Wa on Monday, September 15, Dr Ayine stressed that lawyers must remain vigilant in safeguarding democracy, even when threats to constitutional order emerge from within the profession itself.
“We must reclaim our role as guardians of democracy. The voices of lawyers must not fall silent when constitutionalism is under threat, whether from the executive, the legislature, political parties, or even from within us,” he told the gathering of legal practitioners.
He emphasised the need to restore public confidence in the justice system by upholding integrity among lawyers.
“A few errant lawyers can tarnish the entire Bar. The Ghana Bar Association must be vigilant in holding us to the highest standards of integrity,” he said.
On access to justice, Dr Ayine noted that legal aid should not be a “token gesture” but a genuine lifeline for the poor. He reaffirmed government’s commitment to resourcing the Legal Aid Commission while urging the Bar to embrace pro bono services as part of its civic duty.
He further called for the modernisation of the justice system through e-filing, case management reforms, and digital court records, describing them as necessities rather than luxuries for a 21st-century judiciary.
Source: Emma Ankrah
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