The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has dismissed claims that it selectively criticises political actors, maintaining that it has consistently spoken out on national issues irrespective of the government in power.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, September 14, the Association’s Deputy General Secretary, Saviour Kudze, said the GBA is a professional body and does not align itself with any political party.
“Ghana Bar Association is not a political institution. It’s an association of lawyers, professional lawyers. The fact that we issue statements or criticise issues at times that people are not comfortable with doesn’t mean that we are a political association, or we support a certain political regime,” he said.
His remarks come after comments by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, who accused the GBA of selective criticism and questioned the consistency of its response to recent comments by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
According to him, the Association had consistently responded to statements by political actors, citing its similar responses to comments made by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and NDC MP Francis-Xavier Sosu.
He also added that the GBA’s position has remained the same irrespective of the political party involved.
“The word it is is that, I must repeat, Ghana Bar Association has no favour with any political party. We just say our issues, or do our things that is necessary.”
He also questioned why debates over the GBA’s political leanings continue to overshadow what he described as more pressing national issues.
“There are many important issues to think about in this country, but every time Ghana Bar Association holds an event, the next thing you hear is that they are politically biased.”
“We have problems of sanitation, we have problems of galamsey. Why don’t we spend our time on those productive issues?”
Kudze acknowledged that members of the public were entitled to their views about the Association but dismissed claims that its interventions were politically motivated.