846 Lawyers called to the Bar
A total of 846 newly qualified lawyers were yesterday inducted into the legal profession with a call on stakeholders in the justice delivery sector to employ alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a tool to settle cases.
The Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, said ADR was a major component of the justice system and that its effective implementation would help to decongest the courts by reducing the heavy backlog of cases and ensure expeditious trials.
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Justice Yeboah led the new lawyers to take the oath of the legal profession and also declare an undertaking that enjoins them to practise the profession in accordance with the prescribed code of conduct and rules.
The Chief Justice, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame; the President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, and Justices Jones Victor Mawulorm Dotse and Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, took turns to present certificates to the new lawyers.
The event at the Accra International Conference Centre was witnessed by friends, family and well-wishers of the inductees.
The Overall Best Student Award went to Bolsong Sabina Sabia, an alumnus of the University of Cape Coast Faculty of Law.
Brown Araba Bena Akyenba was awarded the Best all round performance in Post Call Law Course.
Carruthers Tetteh, a visually impaired student, received a standing ovation when the Chief Justice descended the high table to present his certificate to him.
Ensuring standards
The Chief Justice said the General Legal Council would be compelled to withdraw the recognition of some institutions offering the Bachelor of Laws programme because those institutions lack the requisite faculties, lecturers and infrastructure.
He said it formed part of a precautionary measure to tackle any semblance of mediocrity in the profession following findings from a recent inspection of faculties in various institutions.
The Chief Justice further admonished the lawyers to assist the needy with their services, saying “your success cannot be perceived in purely monetary and material terms only, and I say this with great emphasis because the legal profession is not a gold mine”.
Journey
The visually impaired lawyer, Mr Tetteh, described his journey as a tough one and mentioned the lack of soft copies and friendly materials for the visually impaired as some of the constraints they encountered at the Law school.
He pledged to focus attention on championing the cause of the vulnerable and the less privileged in society.