Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has called on lawyers who usually resort to seeking justice on public media platforms rather than the law courts to desist from such practices.
According to him, such practices do not only devalue the legal system but ridicule the core values of the judiciary in the country.
He made this call during the opening ceremony of this year’s Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
“I have observed a systematic and conscious effort by some lawyers to denigrate the judiciary and undermine public confidence in the sound administration of justice through a deliberate misrepresentation of the effect of court rulings as well as false commentary on electronic and mass media purely inspired by a vile motive to run the judiciary. Even when applications have been duely filed in accordance with law, and procedure appending the highest court of the land, some legal practioners do not spare an effort to prejudice the minds of the public with mischievous analysis on public radio, television, and social media; all calculated to force the hands of the judges to deliver the verdict in a particular manner; or to whip of sentiments of the public against a particular court hearing the matter in the event of an outcome unfavorable to them.”
In a caution statement Mr. Dame said such practices were viscous and misguided; urging legal practitioners especially senior lawyers to desist from them.
To him, mass media and electronic media should serve as a tool to re-echo and education the public on legal matters.
Source: A1Radioonline.com| 101.1MHz| Ghana
