Human rights lawyer Francis-Xavier Sosu has revealed his willingness to quit the practice of law in Ghana, stating he cannot stand the level of injustice and arbitrariness of the General Legal Council.
Mr. Sosu who has been handed a three-year ban from practicing for professional misconduct, has accused members of the Council of destroying young lawyers in the country in order “to seek relevance”.
“To be frank with you, I’m so prepared right now to quit legal practice in Ghana. Oh of course, I’m prepared to quit. Me, i can’t stand injustices,” he said on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa morning show Friday.
He told host of the show, Bright Kwesi Asempa that members of the Council, which has recently been criticised for its posture, “have formed themselves into a cartel” and intimidating layers, especially the young ones.
In his estimation, the General Legal Council, which is the main regulatory body for the conduct and administration of legal education and profession in Ghana, has now become lawless with no regard for due process whatsoever.
“… You constitute yourself into a body which is so arbitrary, which is so lawless,” he said, adding “Once a while, we must call a spade a spade in this country”.
He made reference to his disciplinary hearing to support his argument, suggesting he was humiliated, insulted and mocked at by some senior judges on the Council.
“At that hearing, the kind of things that were said…i beg that’s why i usually don’t want to waste my time on this issue,” he said, and mentioned “You’re a disgrace, what a crass, you’ve turned yourself into ambulance” among other statements used by the Council members against him.
Unfortunately, he said the Ghana Bar Association that is supposed to protect the interest of lawyers in the country is in bed with the Council, something he said is a worry to the legal profession in Ghana.
He indicated that he is “not afraid to express” his “honest view” about the Council “because in this country, we have freedom of expression and so long as it is not intended to coerce anybody, it is not intended to interfere with anything, I’m free to share”.
“Not until i have seen that there have been real changes that make it impossible for people to turn themselves into demigods to determine the destiny of other people in legal practice in Ghana, there is no way me I will want to practice law in Ghana,” he stated bluntly.
Mr. Sosu said it is his dream that the General Legal Council collapses and replaced with a constitutional body that will be open and follow due process.
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