GBA considers Human Rights Watch Committee amid concerns over arrests involving social commentators

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is contemplating the creation of a Human Rights Watch Committee to safeguard constitutional and human rights, specifically in instances involving social media commentators. GBA President, Mrs Efua Ghartey, announced this during the inaugural session of the Association's 2026/2027 Annual Conference held in Ada.

The proposed committee, she explained, would empower the GBA to oversee the application of constitutional protections in cases involving suspects, including recent arrests of TikTokers. "In cases where social commentators, such as the arrest of TikTokers, the Committee would be able to provide the necessary legal aid to suspects," Mrs Ghartey asserted.

She emphasized that the initiative is part of the Association's commitment to ensuring that investigative and prosecutorial authorities adhere to the constitutional framework, particularly when addressing the liberty and rights of suspects. Mrs Ghartey also voiced concerns over what the GBA perceives as excessive bail conditions imposed by investigative and prosecutorial authorities.

The GBA had previously adopted a resolution on the issue at its maiden fully virtual Mid-year Conference on June 5, 2026. Mrs Ghartey stressed that bail conditions must align with Article 14 of the 1992 Constitution and remain "reasonable, proportionate, and consistent with the presumption of innocence." The proposed committee, she added, would serve as an additional mechanism for the GBA to examine cases where the fundamental rights of suspects might be jeopardized.

"We shall not relent on our efforts to hold statutory and governmental bodies to the constitutional standards of our country for our common good," she affirmed. The 2026/2027 GBA Annual Conference, themed "150 years of Ghana’s Legal Evolution: Transforming the Profession and Driving its Future with Industry," is currently underway.