ACCRA — Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has cautioned the Ghana Bar Association against allowing the rise of political influence within its leadership to convert the Bar’s sacred public duty into a tool of political convenience.
In a statement, Dr Srem-Sai observed a growing tension between the Bar’s duty to advocate for genuine public interest and the public good on one hand, and the increasing political power of its leadership on the other.
“This shift appears, unfortunately, to be fast converting the bar’s sacred public duty into one of a persistent political convenience where the bar is often seen and described by the public as a mouthpiece of a particular political interest rather than of a public interest as a whole,” he said.
He stressed that the Bar’s authority rests firmly on its independence.
“I too strongly believe that the vast authority rests on its independence from the state, from political parties, and yet from the office which I occupy,” Dr Srem-Sai stated.
The Deputy Attorney General said what he continues to demand is not a silent or hidden Bar, but one that is visible and present; not one that flips on principles, but one that is consistent; and not one that keeps its distance from public life and discourse, but one that keeps its distance from political convenience and the corridors of national political power.
“These observations of mine are not born out of a casual place of luxury. They are born out of my deep experience in affairs of bars in other countries and in the common world, where bar associations are fiercely professional and keep a decent distance from the corridors of political power,” he said.
He added that the demand for independence must not be isolated from proper politics, but must be matched by a corresponding demand on the state itself for responsibility.
Dr Srem-Sai’s comments form part of the ongoing debate over the Ghana Bar Association’s role, independence and perceived political alignment.
By Gayheart Abraham
Source: Mybluewavesonline.com / Maurice Duncan/ Bolgatanga
