Legal vacation: Ayikoi Otoo says compelling lawyers to appear in court is unfair

Former Attorney General and Ghana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ayikoi Otoo, has expressed strong opposition to the court order compelling lawyers to attend hearings during the legal vacation. According to Mr Otoo, this practice is unfair and should only happen in rare cases. Despite the High Court rules giving the Chief Justice the authority to issue such directives, Mr Otoo believes these powers should be used sparingly and in line with established legal practice.

During an interview on Joy FM Super Morning Show, Mr Otoo admitted he was not familiar with lawyers routinely being forced to continue hearings during the legal break. He questioned why lawyers should be compelled back into court simply because a case was deemed important or needed to be resolved quickly. The legal profession traditionally allows lawyers to take a break during the vacation, and Mr Otoo argued that the need to conclude individual cases should not override this arrangement.

He emphasized that lawyers, particularly those involved in high-profile cases, should not be forced to appear in court during their vacation. Mr Otoo's stance comes amid complaints from three law firms regarding notices directing their lawyers to continue hearing criminal cases during the current legal vacation. The Ghana Bar Association has appealed to Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to ensure judges respect established rules and traditions regarding the legal vacation.

However, Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie has rejected the idea that lawyers can decline to proceed with cases simply because their vacation schedule has been set.