Constitutional Lawyer, George Bernard Shaw has described comments made by Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin about the judgement of a Circuit Court Judge as scandalous and one which threatens the very foundation of judicial independence in Ghana.
The Legal Practitioner in an interview with Starr News, expressed deep worry over public tirades against the judiciary and urged the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to take immediate action by initiating contempt proceedings against the lawmaker to safeguard the administration of justice.
“If you disagree with the judgment of a court, there are processes and avenues open for redress…because if you come openly to castigate and rebuke the judge in that way, you are bringing the whole administration of justice into disrepute, and this is what I’m against,” he asserted.
The constitutional lawyer shared a recent personal experience involving the exact same high court judge, demonstrating how legal disagreements should be handled professionally within the boundaries of the law rather than in the media.
“I have been before that same judge as recent as only two weeks ago in a bail application, where I completely disagreed with his ruling. But then, I proceeded straightaway to the Human Rights Court and made another application, and then my client is now free on bail,” he revealed.
Mr. Shaw challenged the GBA to break its silence and act decisively to correct growing public perceptions about its neutrality.
“If the tape and the things that he [Afenyo-Markin] said about the judge were truly done, then yes, the GBA should come down hard.
“We are all very worried about the perception of the Ghana Bar Association being a political tool of any political party,” he said.
He concluded by reminding the bar association of its core mandate to remain strictly independent, ethical, and protective of the country’s legal institutions, irrespective of the political figures involved.
Source: Starronline.com.gh
