Human rights lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu’s prayer to have his three-year ban by the General Legal Council suspended suffered a jolt after an Appeal Court threw out the case.
He filed an application for stay of execution on the General Legal Council’s decision to suspend him from legal practice describing it as “very selective, ill-motivated and an affront to natural justice and fairness.”
According to the petition, filed on his behalf by his lawyers the decision to bar him from practice by the GLC is “oppressive and gagging.”
The GLC in June suspended Sosu on the grounds that he was investigated and found guilty of professional misconduct.
He wanted the Court of Appeal to dismiss the suspension until the substantive case is heard, but it was dismissed on Wednesday.
The GLC in its case concluded that: “The disciplinary committee of the General legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he; while acting as Council for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defense Staff, minister of interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting,” portions of the statement said.
It added: “He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he; while acting as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra,Ghana, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement.”
He was convicted on his plea of guilty on both counts, according to the letter.
But in a petition to the Appeals court, the beleaguered lawyer dismissed his suspension as “harsh” since he is a first time offender.
“Our petition is premised on the fact that this decision will deny justice to several vulnerable people that Lawyer Sosu is currently representing against the state on violation of fundamental human rights including unlawful arrest and detention, domestic violence and victims of abusers, miscarriage of justice or natural injustice, unfair treatment by a spouse and other human right abusers across the length and breathe of the country,” the petition stated in parts.
