Senior Lawyer and a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council (GLC), Mr. Sam Okudzeto; lawyer for the GLC, Mr. Vincent Kizito Beyuo and private legal practitioner, Mr. Ace Anan Ankomah are to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council on October 26, 2017 over an alleged professional misconduct.
[ads1]The trio have been dragged to the GLC by a pressure group, United for National Interest (UNI) and a private citizen of Ghana and civil rights activist, Emmanuel Korsi Senyo in June 2017.
The group and the civil rights activist petitioned the GLC saying some activities of the trio on the internet and social media breached the rules of professional conduct as prescribed in the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) rules, 1969 (LI613) specifically Rule 2 (1), (2), (3), (4) which prevent lawyers from touting and advertising.
Though information available on the GLC’s website indicates that the Council shall within 14days respond to any petition brought before it, the Council which is the body that regulates legal profession in Ghana has failed to meet its own deadline pushing UNI and Korsi Senyo to write to the council on August 2, 2017 given it a five day ultimatum to respond to their petition or they (petitioners) proceed to court to secure an order to compel them (GLC) to hear their petitions.
Three days after the GLC received the letters from UNI and Korsi Senyo, a notice of hearing dated July 31, 2017 has been sent to them (petitioners).
Coincidentally, all the parties are to appear before the Disciplinary Committee on October 26, 2017 at 2:00pm.
One of the notices reads:
IN THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL
(GHANA SCHOOL OF LAW BUILDING)
ACCRA – A.D. 2017
COMPLAINT OF PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST MR. SAM OKUDZETO
HEARING NOTICE TO PARTIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 19 (5) OF ACT 32
TAKE NOTE that the above matter has been fixed for 26th day of October, 2017 at 2:00pm when it will come on for hearing.
In the event of your failure to attend the hearing, the Commitee will proceed to the rule on the matter on the basis of the evidence before it.
Failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee at the time and place mentioned in this summons, without reasonable excuse, shall attract a liability on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred penalty units.
You have the right to appear before the Committee with a Lawyer of your choice.
Issued at Accra the 31st Day of July, 2017.
signed:-
FOR: THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY
Source: AwakeAfrica.com
