Engineer and policy analyst, Kosi Dedey, has launched a scathing criticism of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), accusing the group and other professional bodies of failing the country by not upholding professional consistency and integrity in the wake of recent judicial controversies.
Dedey expressed frustration at what he described as a pattern of “flip-flopping” by institutions meant to safeguard professional standards and national values.
“I think that professional bodies in this country, not just the Ghana Bar Association, have failed this country. Professional bodies need to sit up and hold their members accountable. We cannot be flip-flopping like that. We need to be consistent if we want the profession to be respected.”
His remarks follow growing national debate surrounding the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, a development that has sharply divided opinion across political, legal, and civil society groups.
At the centre of the controversy is the Ghana Bar Association’s recent call for a review of the decision to suspend the Chief Justice. The appeal was made during the 43rd commemoration of Martyrs’ Day, held to honour three High Court judges, Justices Frederick Opoku Sarkodie, Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, who were abducted and murdered on June 30, 1982, in what is widely viewed as a politically motivated atrocity.
Speaking at the solemn ceremony, GBA President Effua Ghartey warned that the Chief Justice’s suspension could set a dangerous precedent, potentially weakening the independence and integrity of Ghana’s judicial system. She urged stakeholders to reconsider the action and preserve the sanctity of the judiciary.
But for Dedey, such advocacy rings hollow if it is not grounded in long-standing consistency. He believes professional bodies and political actors have increasingly treated national concerns with selective attention and partisan motivation.
“Political parties need to be consistent on matters of policy. They need to do right and behave well with the people. Our professional bodies also need to act properly and stop misbehaving and flip-flopping when it suits them,” he added.
