Legal Council receives more cases of indiscipline against lawyers - Chief Justice

Mr Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah, the Chief Justice on Friday in Accra said the General Legal Council (GLC) Disciplinary Committee has witnessed an increase in indiscipline cases reported against lawyers.

According to the Chief Justice the cases basically were due to lack of self-discipline and the desire to get-rich quickly on the part of some lawyers.

He has therefore admonished lawyers to be disciplined and allow self-discipline to inform their work habits and restrain their emotions in the face of challenges.

Justice Anin Yeboah was speaking at the Enrollment of 48 New Lawyers (Special Call) at the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice advised the lawyers to avoid being dragged before the Disciplinary Committee, adding, “The pain of self-discipline is less than regret”.

The Chief Justice informed the lawyers that GLC would not “close its eyes to any infractions on your part in the pursuit of your careers”.

He further tasked the lawyers to have the attitude of humility as they begin their careers in order to achieve the required benefit of their endeavors.

“If you consider yourself as a learner, you will find your seniors at the Bar more willing to guide you in all your do. As lawyers you must keep a relationship which is cordial, gentle, honest, diligent, and respectful and the virtues of life which make for nobility associated with the legal profession,” he said.

Justice Anin Yeboah told the newly trained lawyers not to delude themselves into thinking that education was over but they should continue to learn to meet emerging trends and challenges.

“The study of law has no end. To prove yourself worthy of the study of Law, you need to read on a wide range of topics and develop a legal mind that can be very incisive to help solve problems of the community in which you live in,” he said.

He appealed to the lawyers to conduct research in order to be abreast with the development in all fields of the law.

On Legal training, the Chief Justice said the GLA was considering opening professional legal training to other qualified institutions.

He said based on the fact that these institutions meet the set of criteria’s stipulated in the Bill currently before Parliament.

“With 14 faculties of Law all offering the LLB Course, there is too much pressures on the Ghana School of Law,” he added.