GBA express distaste over MP's comment
You have lost focus over the years, Sosu tells GBA
Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has hit back at the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) over the latter’s response to ‘political judges’ comments he made.
The MP in a statement raised concerns over the GBA’s conduct stating that it has over the years lost its focus in championing critical matters that affect the legal profession.
He mentioned that he was unperturbed by the concerns raised by GBA regarding his comment, adding, “no amounts of twists and turns will extricate judicial officers and judges who would allow themselves to become agents of political partisan agenda.”
Sosu maintained that he stands by his statement “any day, anytime."
He stressed, “A cursory look at the Objects of the GBA Constitution in Part 1, Section 2 clearly shows that the GBA has lost its focus and relevance long ago. Let me remind the GBA Leadership that it has a duty to ensure “ the maintenance of the independence of the Judiciary."
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"How can you achieve this object if judges allow themselves to be influenced politically? For the rest of the objects, I beg to leave it here else we wash our dirty linen in public.
"Needless to say, let me be clear that I stand by my statement any day, any time. The Statement was a conditional statement and no amounts of twists and turns will extricate judicial officers and judges who would allow themselves to become agents of political partisan agenda” part of the statement read.
Sosu lamented further, “It is very sad that the leadership of the GBA which was established by the Constitution of Ghana and historically known to be the champions of Rule of Law, Accountability and Social Justice has reduced itself to yet another useless institution of our democratic process in these days and times”.
Background
During the NDC’s ‘Yentua’ demonstration on February 11, the Madina MP in a media engagement cautioned judges to steer away from politics.
He warned that judges who engage in politics will be ‘fished out’ when power changes hands.
“If you are a judge, your fidelity is to the constitution of Ghana and the laws of Ghana. If you allow yourself to be used as a political judge so that you can do the bidding of the ruling government be warned, be warned because we are watching closely at you and in the event that there’s a change of power, every political judge will be fished out, every political judge will be dealt with politically. “So please stick with the law let us do our politics,” Sosu told the media.
However, the comments did not sit well with GBA who said the MP’s comments were “ignorant and irresponsible”.
“The GBA finds the assertion by Francis-Xavier Sosu very unprofessional, unfortunate, irresponsible and distasteful and same smacks of deep-seated ignorance, as the tenure of judges per the Constitution, 1992, and other relevant laws is never in any way whatsoever tied to the tenure of the political regime under which judges are appointed,” part of the GBA statement read.
Read Below Full Statement from Francis-Xavier Sosu
View his Timepath below:
