The Ghana Bar Association’s (GBA) recent position on the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has ignited a heated debate, with Economic Advisor to the Vice President, Prof. Sharif Khalid Mahmud, expressing profound disappointment.
In a candid interview on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Prof. Khalid lamented the GBA’s declining influence in upholding democratic principles and legal integrity, describing their response as “disappointing and appalling.”
Prof. Khalid reminisced about the GBA’s storied past, highlighting its historical significance as a bastion of democracy and constitutional rule during Ghana’s struggles for independence.
“To such an extent that people, fair-minded people, even thought that the GBA was a constitutional arm of government,” he remarked, underscoring the association’s erstwhile clout and revered status.
However, Prof. Khalid criticized the GBA’s current stance, likening it to “vanilla of hot air” and questioning its consistency in addressing legal matters.
He drew parallels with past controversies, particularly the removal of former Electoral Commission Chairperson Charlotte Osei, suggesting that the GBA had exhibited bias by remaining silent on that matter while vocalizing its opposition to Chief Justice Torkornoo’s suspension.
“When the issue of Charlotte Osei occurred, did we hear a cough from the biased GBA?” Prof. Khalid queried, highlighting perceived discrepancies in the association’s actions.
The GBA, on the other hand, has called for the immediate revocation of the suspension, describing the action as unconstitutional and lacking a legal basis under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
