100 new lawyers enrolled

One hundred new lawyers including 23 women were on Friday called to the Ghana Bar at the Ghana School Of Law.

President Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor was assisted by Nana Akufo Addo, the Attorney General and Mr. Paul Adu-Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Bar Association to distribute prizes to the deserving new lawyers.

Mr. Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Chief Justice in an address said the lawyer should not be parochial in his attitude but should rather bring enlightenment to where there was ignorance.

Mr. Justice Wiredu, who is also the Chairman of the General Legal Council, said the lawyer being human must earn their living but it was also necessary that they should contribute to the building of the society.

He said the social, economic, political and general welfare of the community should be accessible to everybody and that where there was ignorance, the lawyer should bring about enlightenment.

The Chief Justice advised the new lawyers to accept postings to any part of the country to work, saying, "You should not remain in the urban and municipal areas only."

He said the lawyers need to see themselves as beginners who should learn the law at all times, to be very conversant with the rules of the court and the substantive law.

Mr. Justice Wiredu appealed to lawyers, commercial houses, financial institutions and companies to help develop the Ghana School of Law, to attain acceptable heights.

He noted that the existence of the school had been useful to the economic and social development of Ghana and that, since its establishment in 1958; a number of lawyers had been produced.

He expressed regret that the school lacked many facilities and was unable to provide the useful services required of it.

In terms of its expansion, the school should be in a position to train more lawyers, yet it could not do so in the light of its limited facilities, he said.

Out of the 35 prizes distributed, two students, Miss Adwoa Otema Aidoo and Miss Victoria Osei Bonsu received the highest number of six each, Miss Monica Osam Duodu followed with four prizes.

Three other students, Mr. Kwasi Anokye Gyimah, Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi and Miss Sheila Darkwa received three prizes each.

Professor Akua Kuenyehia, Dean of the Faculty of Law, was honoured for her good performance as Acting Director of the school.

Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, and Haruna Iddrisu, National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress were among the newly enrolled lawyers.

Dignitaries present at the function included Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Education, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Majority Leader and Nana Owusu Nsiah, Inspector-General of Police.