Lawyers open 49th Legal Year

Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - As part of activities marking the opening of the 49th Legal Year, members of the Bench and the Bar on Saturday held a church service at the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Accra on Saturday.

The current 13 Justices of the Supreme Court, 21 Justices of the Court of Appeal, 61 Justices of the High Court and three chairmen of the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal attended the church service. Mr. Joe Ghartey, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheik IC Quaye, Mr. George Kinsley Acquah, Chief Justice (CJ), Members of Judicial Counsel, Parliamentarians and Chiefs from all walks of life graced the occasion with their presence.

The CJ read the first text taken from the Book of the Prophet Amos, Chapter 2 Verses 6-7 and Chapter 5 Verses 7-13. The Attorney-General read the second text taken from Exodus, Chapter 18 Verses 18-23, and Mr. Solomon Kwame Tetteh, President of the Ghana Bar Association, read the third text also taken from the Gospel According to Saint Luke, Chapter 18 Verses 1-8.

Delivering the sermon, The Most Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong, the Catholic Archbishop of Kumasi, who was the Guest Preacher, stated: "Divinity guides the human person to achieve the purpose of which he or she was created - his or her final destiny. Medicine is directed to the defence and care of human life, and Jurisprudence protects what makes the person human at all, namely, his or her true freedom."

He said: "If the Priest commits an abominable crime when he leads people away from God; and the Doctor, a despicable felony when he allies himself or herself with death, then the Lawyer or Judge is culpable of blasphemous treachery against God's holiness, justice and trust, when under the pretext of delivering justice, he wilfully or carelessly makes a mockery of this cardinal virtue."

The Archbishop of Kumasi said: "The first reading today is clear on what God thinks about such an act. I will not revoke my word because they sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute, profaning my holy name - Amos 2: 6-7."

Referring further to the text, the Archbishop said: "These harsh words should be an unmistakable index of the horror in which, in the name of God, lawyers should look at corruption from every angle." He therefore, advised judges not to take bribe from a plaintiff or a defendant or from both complainant and accused person. They should also desist from incompetently giving distorted judgement.

Archbishop Sarpong stated: "Never should a lawyer give false hope to a client he knows has no case. Never should an advocate deliberately frustrate his opponent,=94 adding, 93in short, never should a judge and counsel connive to refuse anybody access to justice."

To buttress his sermon, the Archbishop stated: "Out of reverential fear of the Lord, Moses was determined to mete out justice to all who came to him and would not adjourn cases unnecessary. Moses sat in judgement from morning until evening, taking no account of his natural urge to eat or to rest."

He said: "I congratulate you on your 49th Legal Year. With Saint Paul, I wish you happiness. Try to grow perfect, help one another and your nation, be united, live in peace and God of love, justice and peace will be with you and bless you. Amen."

The Most Reverend Dr. Justice O. Akrofi, Primate and Archbishop of West Africa and Bishop of Accra, also the officiating Clergy, prayed for the country, the President, the Courts of Justice and the Bar Association.

Most Reverend Dr. Akrofi humbly prayed the Lord Almighty to defend members of the Bench and the Bar from all dangers both Spiritual and physical, and that relying on God's providence alone, they may not fear or hesitate in giving rightful judgements at all times.

He called on God to: "grant to the President of this nation Ghana, the Cabinet, Members of the Council of State, Members of Parliament, the Mayors of cities, the District Chief Executives and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to serve the people in the Lord's fear alone."