Lawyers must not be arrogant - Georgina Wood

The perception of many persons all over the world, including Ghana, is that lawyers are arrogant and do not respect.

It is as a result of this (perception) that the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, has cautioned those in the law profession not to pride themselves above others in society, but must remain humble at all times.

According to her, “Lawyering” is not a license to arrogance and disrespect.

The Chief Justice made this remarks during a ceremony to call some lawyers to the bar and the enrollment of new ones.

She pointed out that, the confrontational or accusatorial proceedings practiced in the country and, as well as other jurisdictions, has led to many ill-advised practitioners to think that abhorrent conduct is a mark of a smart lawyer.

According to her, it is the primary responsibility of lawyers to help shape the future direction of the country’s jurisprudence, the bar and society at large.

“Achieving professional excellence is therefore predicated upon hard work, commitment and dedication,” she indicated, adding that it is the responsibility of those in the law profession to assist in the proper administration of justice.

In a caution statement, Madam Georgina Wood said it was essential that lawyers remain true to the core values and ideals of the profession, with deep commitment to the rule of law in a free and open society.

According to her, integrity is the key to success in any human enterprise but in the contemporary world, for many, integrity is difficult to uphold when the benefits of dishonesty are often so immediate, so immense and so alluring.

To her, dividends of integrity are slow in coming and sometimes difficult to see, yet that price is worth every sweat, every sacrifice and every deprivation of personal comfort and advantage; as she advised the new lawyers to make integrity their hallmark and further the cause of justice with strict adherence to the ethics of the profession; she advised that they (new lawyers) remain honest and not otherwise as perceived.

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