The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has strongly criticised Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin over his public remarks against a Circuit Court judge handling the case involving Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
The Association has described the comments as unprofessional and inconsistent with the ethical standards expected of a senior lawyer and political leader.
Speaking on the issue, GBA spokesperson, Saviour Kudze said the Minority Leader’s conduct fell short of what is expected of someone of his legal standing.
“It is very unpalatable, unbecoming of a senior lawyer of his standing at the Bar, particularly so a senior lawyer who is privileged enough to be the Minority Leader of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, a lawyer who I am told is also a chief. Is this the kind of example he wants to give his constituents?” Kudze stated.
The remarks come after Afenyo-Markin, at a press conference on Sunday, May 17, criticised the judge over the continued remand of Abronye DC and vowed to keep challenging his conduct.
He also questioned the judge’s competence and challenged him to cite him for contempt, insisting he would continue to speak out until, in his words, the judge “upholds the law.”
Responding to these comments, Kudze argued that if the Minority Leader had issues with the judge’s rulings, the appropriate channel was the appellate system rather than public criticism.
“As a lawyer, if his complaint is that a judge has acted in a way according to him not within the ambit of the law, this is not the way I think that he should go, especially somebody like him,” he said.
“My thinking is that the appellate system is not there for fun. If the judge didn’t act within his jurisdiction, he knew what to do. He shouldn’t go to the press, not at all.”
He further stressed that publicly attacking the competence or qualifications of a judge breaches legal ethics and professional conduct rules.
“We are disappointed, and he has acted very unprofessionally and unethically because, per our etiquette rules, we don’t do things like this by attacking the qualifications or competence of a judge,” Kudze added.
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