GBA leadership’s independence and consistency leave much to be desired – Deputy AG

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has raised concerns over the independence and consistency of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) leadership in its reaction to Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie's comments. During an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on September 14, Dr Srem-Sai highlighted that true independence of an organization is demonstrated through its actions and not just claimed.

For an institution to be consistent, it must show tangible evidence through its behavior and decisions. Dr Srem-Sai remarked that the leadership of the GBA has a lot to improve in terms of independence and consistency. This statement follows criticism from the GBA President, Efua Ghartey, over remarks made by Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie during a visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on September 2.

Mrs Ghartey labeled the Chief Justice's comments as inappropriate during the Ghana Bar Association Conference 2026/27 in Ada on Monday. However, Dr Srem-Sai emphasized that the main issue is not the political nature of the Chief Justice's remarks, but whether the GBA consistently applied its standards in responding to such comments.

He argued that if the GBA believes the Chief Justice should not make political comments, this standard should be uniformly applied to all similar remarks made by Chief Justices or other judges. Dr Srem-Sai insisted that the controversy should not be limited to the political nature of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie's comments, but rather on whether the GBA is applying its principles independently, consistently, and without selectivity.