I won’t cancel legal traditions for one brief — Atta Akyea
Lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea has defended his decision to stay away from court during Ghana’s ongoing legal vacation, insisting that he would rather “die for democracy” than compromise what he considers established legal traditions. The former Attorney-General said his position is not an attempt to abandon his client but a decision to uphold principles he believes are fundamental to the legal…
Former Attorney-General Samuel Atta Akyea has vehemently defended his absence from Ghana's ongoing legal proceedings, stating that he would rather "die for democracy" than compromise established legal traditions. Speaking to JoyNews, Akyea rejected accusations that his withdrawal amounted to abandoning his client, insisting that his decision was rooted in upholding democratic principles.
He invoked the memory of J.B. Danquah, a victim of Ghana's first republic, to underline the significance of democratic values. Akyea argued that lawyers have an unwavering duty to defend the rule of law and that his absence was not motivated by convenience. He emphasized that his firm's other lawyers remained on hand, ready to act in accordance with their established practice.
The Ghana Bar Association has criticized the requirement for lawyers to attend substantive trials during the legal vacation, while the judiciary maintains that designated courts have the authority to hear cases. Akyea warned that diluting established legal traditions for individual cases could undermine the legal profession and Ghana's democratic institutions.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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