The recent unjustified accusations and attacks in the media against judges for their verdicts have angered the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
The majority of these critics, according to national president Yaw Acheampong Boafo, do not familiarize themselves with the verdict before making such accusations.
“It is more scandalous and disturbing when they are done by persons with legal backgrounds, who are conversant with their remedies and options under the law if they disagreed with a decision,” he stated on June 30 as the Association marked 41 years since the passing of about three judges.
Called Matyrs Day, the commemoration marks the killing of Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addo, Justice Fed Poku Sarkodie and Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong in 1982.
Mr Acheampong Boafo urged all to learn from the past as he suggested that the soldiers who killed these judges may not have read their judgements but were indoctrinated by persons who had been exposed to these written judgements.
On that score, he descended heavily on the Minority for the recent outbursts against the decision of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo in the James Gyakye Quayson case.
The Minority had suspended a decision on Justice Torkornoo on the Appointments Committee with the pretext that the members were awaiting her decision in the case.
The GBA National President said what was worse was when a leader of the Minority Caucus attacked the immediate past Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin Yeboah, unjustifiably.
“Such a statement was unfortunate and grossly irresponsible in the highly partisan environment we regrettably find ourselves in, and it upset the rank and file of the GBA, especially when the author of the accusations failed to provide details of the specific cases or decisions by the immediately previous Chief Justice that led to the miscarriage of justice and by what scientific tools he used to measure the level of miscarriage of justice and undue influence.
He warned everyone to exercise caution “both in our actions and statements to ensure that no judge in this country should ever suffer the tragedy and fate of the martyrs we celebrate today”.
