The Ghana Law Society (GLS), a new association of lawyers, has been launched, with an overarching objective of improving access to justice and strengthening the legal profession.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, launched the Society at its maiden Annual Bar Conference at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra yesterday.
The conference, which was held on the theme: “Legal reforms — the place of the Ghanaian lawyer,” brought together members of the legal profession, the Judiciary, Parliament, government officials and other stakeholders.
The Speaker said the Ghanaian lawyer had never been limited to courtroom advocacy and had historically contributed to constitutional development, human rights, commerce, public administration, diplomacy and parliamentary work.
He described the lawyer as an “architect of the Republic”, saying lawyers had a responsibility to examine not only what the law was but also what it ought to become.
Mr Bagbin said the country was engaged in constitutional and institutional reforms and that the legal profession had a responsibility to contribute to the process.
He said constitutionalism was sustained by citizens and professionals who believe that the law should remain superior to convenience, power and partisan interests.
He further cautioned that passing legislation alone did not produce justice.
“A beautifully crafted Act of Parliament, that cannot be implemented, [is] little more than an elegant promise,” he said.
He said legal reform should therefore be measured by whether citizens had meaningful access to justice, whether cases were determined within a reasonable time and whether legal institutions were keeping pace with technological changes.
Law, economy
The Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah, said legal reform should also be viewed as an economic issue because the effectiveness of the legal system had implications for investment, business and economic activity.
He said businesses needed enforceable contracts, farmers needed certainty over land ownership, while young innovators needed clear rules on areas such as data, digital assets and artificial intelligence.
Dr Debrah said efficient laws could reduce risk, protect rights and provide businesses with the certainty required to grow.
He said the government had embarked on a number of reforms, including the Legal Education Act, 2026, the Community Service Act, 2026, the Tribunal Act, 2026, and the constitutional review process.
Dr Debrah said the legal profession had a role to play in ensuring that such reforms translated into practical improvements in the lives of citizens.
Reformers
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, said the success of the country’s legal reform agenda would depend partly on the role lawyers chose to play in the process.
He urged lawyers to contribute to legislative drafting, the reform of state contracts, public financial management, disciplinary reform and access to justice instead of limiting themselves to commenting on laws after they had been passed.
Dr Ayine also called for professional independence, saying lawyers’ associations needed to maintain their independence from political parties and the state.
He said the legal profession should be able to speak on the state of the law and the courts without being seen as speaking for a political interest.
“The place of the Ghanaian lawyer, in this season of reform, is to be independent enough to be believed and engaged enough to matter,” he said.
Beyond Accra
The President of the GLS, Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, said one of the major challenges confronting the legal profession was the concentration of lawyers in a few urban centres.
He said the country had fewer than 8,000 lawyers with active practising certificates, with more than 72 per cent practising within Accra, Kumasi and Tema.
Mr Dafeamekpor, who is also the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, said more than 190 districts had no law firm, leaving citizens in some parts of the country to travel long distances for services such as land searches, tenancy agreements, bail applications and legal representation for juveniles.
He said the situation required the profession to rethink how lawyers were trained, posted and made available to citizens.
“We cannot continue to be a Bar of Accra, by Accra, for Accra.
We must be a Bar of Ghana, by Ghana, and for Ghana,” he said.
As part of measures to address the situation, he announced a proposed 12-month structured national service programme for newly qualified lawyers, under a partnership between the GLS and the National Service Secretariat.
Under the proposal, fresh lawyers would be posted to district assemblies, Legal Aid offices, CHRAJ offices, the Judicial Service, Lands Commission offices and regional offices of the Attorney-General to provide legal services and support justice delivery.
Mr Dafeamekpor, also the Majority Chief Whip, said the GLS would pursue reforms in legal education, national service for newly qualified lawyers, mandatory pro bono work, digitisation, specialisation, professional welfare and legal scholarship.
He added that the reforms were intended to ensure that the legal profession became more responsive to the needs of citizens and the changing demands of the country.
