Full Address: GBA President Efua Ghartey at the 2026/2027 Annual Conference

At the opening of the 2026/2027 Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Ada, GBA President Mrs. Efua Ghartey delivered a wide-ranging address reflecting on the evolution of Ghana’s legal profession, the welfare and future of lawyers, and the Bar’s role in matters of national importance.

233 Legal publishes below the full address of the GBA President.

The representative of the Chief Justice, Justice Tony Forson Jr.,a former president of the Ghana
Bar Association. The Honourable Attorney General and Minister for Justice represented by the Deputy Attorney
General and Minister for Justice – Dr. Justice Srem-Sai
The Director, Ghana School of Law – Prof. Raymond Atuguba
My Lords Spiritual and Temporal
Honourable Members of Parliament
Nii Mei and Naa Mei led by the Mankralo, Nene Obikyere who is representing Nene Abram Kabu
Akuoku
Distinguished Invitees who hail from this serene and hospitable Ada city
Our service Commanders here present.
Esteemed Learned Friends
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning.
Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya

Life, they say has many rhythms – a real truism.
Ten years ago, in the year 2016, at the opening of the 2016/2017 Annual Conference of this noble Association, I stood before you as the President of the host Bar, the indomitable, dynamic, cosmopolitan Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Bar Association to welcome the Bar to the Conference which was being held here at this same venue, Aqua Safari, Ada. It was the Ghana Bar Association’s first time of hosting an Annual Conference outside a regional capital.
My team made sure that during the opening ceremony which was held at the Trinity Hall of the Central University at Miotso, the famous Wulomo music group was present to treat the Bar to its rich, soulful, authentic Ga music, which moved some Lawyers to display their dance moves and reminded us all that we were in the Greater Accra Region. The 2016 Conference kick started with an Akwaaba Night starring five reputable artists (Akwaboa, Bisa K. Dei, Akosua Agyapong, Stephanie Benson and Gyedu Blay Ambulley). This has since become a permanent fixture at every Conference. We worked hard then to dispel the notion that hosting aConference in the national capital would be challenging. Indeed, prior to the 2016 Conference, the Greater Accra Bar had only hosted the Conference 20 years ago under the inspiring leadership of past President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at the International Conference Centre, Accra.

Today, I am more than confident that the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Bar Association will have the bragging rights of hosting the largest number of Conference attendees in the Bar’s history in a non-election year. Their countless meetings and sleepless nights as well as prayers have brought them thu s far. May we recognize the executive members of the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Bar Association, headed by Mrs Isabel Boateng, members of the National Conference planning Committee chaired by Mr. William Oduro, my own Executives, especially our untiring yet usually forebearing National Secretary, Mr. Kweku Gyau Baffour, who visited this venue countless times, reporting back on progress made, while being sufficiently harassed with incessant calls for one thing or the other, Mr Aurileous Awuku,our assistant Secretary for stepping up to shoulder any extra load, our Volunteers and our magnanimous Sponsors. Special appreciation also goes to two of our past Presidents, Mr. Sam Awuku Okudzeto, our nonagenarian, who is fondly known as Uncle Sam and His Lordship Justice Nene Abayateye Amegatcher, both sons of the soil for making us feel at home, with some culinary delights aswell. I am grateful for the support of the entire General Council which includes all our past Presidents with their nuggets of wisdom. The business conglomerates who are linked to Ada or have invested in Ada have weighed in and contributed to this conference, giving us various treats- Safari World with its three destinations (Ada, Dawu and Accra), Group Ideal, McDan Group of Companies and Jospong Group of Companies. Please keep faith with us and I am confident it will pay off. Ten years ago, the Conference was a trailblazer by all standards and this 2026/2027 Annual Conference will raise the Bar higher. Indeed, it has started.

The Greater Accra Bar continues to record meaningful achievements as it returns as host of this year’s Conference. From the painstaking organization of the Conference, the serene ambiance of Aqua Safari which offers members a much deserved legal vacation feel, to the unveiling of the Conference Project – the Ghana Bar Legacy Library Centre in Kasseh- all in fulfillment of the Bar’s resolve to leave an annual footprint in each region where the Conference is held and advance initiatives that strengthen our profession. We have also made significant contributions to our communities, notably the joint donation to the Ada East District Hospital, by Unilever Ghana Limited and the Ghana Bar Association, as well as, the legal literacy programmes being aired on local FM Stations, Eagle FM and Ada FM. These initiatives reflect a Bar that is not only committed to professional excellence, but to giving back to society. Giving back to Society is our trademark, fulfilling our corporate social responsibility is an act of humility and our humble appreciation to God for His providence.

Other special features of this conference include the priceless thoughts to be shared today by our keynote speaker, the focus driven Chairman of Margins Group of Companies, my treasured class mate, Mr. Moses Baiden, an accomplished lawyer with 35 years under his belt. Tomorrow, over lunch, our Women’s Forum will hold its Annual General Meeting with the distinguished scholar, Professor Josephine Jarpa Dawuni who has specialized in Judicial Politics, Gender and the Law, an ardent campaigner for female bar leadership of which some of us are beneficiaries, being in attendance. We would further participate in carefully chosen Continuing Legal Education Sessions for both Litigation Practitioners and In-house Counsel. Beyond the professional development programme, there will be opportunities for fellowship and relaxation, including the themed Conference Dinner during which our newly constituted Bar Band, made up of Lawyers “Subpoena-Colada”, will serenade members to some eclectic music, the mascarade after-party, our annual health and wellness activities, excursions and other social events. Our themed cocktail evenings will be particularly intriguing with one to be hosted by a sponsor featuring a renowned Artist whose name is being kept under wraps for now. We will also showcase our culture through the traditional Ada food Bazaar.

Our Conference theme, ‘150 years of Ghana’s Legal Evolution: Transforming the Profession and driving its Future with Industry’, resonates with the just ended 150th Anniversary Celebrationsof the Supreme Court Ordinance of 1876, a voluminous document titled “An ordinance for the Constitution of a Supreme Court and for other purposes relating to the Administration of Justice” which established the Supreme Court Structure. This Ordinance saw to the establishment of the Supreme Court which was per Part II, section 11, to operate as a Superior Court of Record. From the content of the various areas covered in that document, pertaining to Judges, Bailiffs, Sheriffs, Solicitors, Attorneys, it ought to be etched in the minds of all role players that every contributor to the Justice delivery system matters. We are of equal importance but we have different but complimentary roles to play. Therefore, some recent utterances which seek to suggest otherwise, with the greatest of respect, lack humility and undermine the mutual respect upon which the legal profession rests.

We cannot all be Judges; nor can we all be Lawyers. Who then will be the Umpire and who, the Advocate? And how can we function without the tireless dedicated service of Judicial Service Staff.

Since 1876, the Judiciary has remained the interface that sustains our justice system. The system has metamorphosed and modernized. Now we have new rules and Courts being suggested, including the changes being made to the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (CI 47). More importantly, we need to pay attention to an important segment of society with whom we should have a mutually beneficial relationship – the Industry players in order to appreciate their impact on the future of our profession.

With these brief comments on our theme, permit me to now acknowledge the remarkable journey of our revered Association which will be marking 70 years of its existence next year. History recalls that although lawyers existed prior to the year 1876, it was the Supreme Court Ordinance of 1876 that provided the foundation for their formal education and practice. The Ghana Bar Association in its current form was birthed in the year of Ghana’s Independence, 1957 and has since produced eminent practitioners and jurists; including its first two-term President, Robert Samuel Blay who later served as a Supreme Court Judge during the First Republic. As at 1957, lawyers in Ghana were 11 in number, but presently, we are over 12,000.
My dear Learned Friends, I am happy to report that the Ghana Bar Association remains strong, resilient and poised to deliver on its mandate.

When this administration took office on 4th November, 2024, it was akin to passengers who had boarded a flight, entrusting their future to a crew they greatly outnumbered. Conscious of our responsibility, we took off after all the safety measures had been observed and complied with. Now, after a year and 10 months, we are fully airborne and are coasting at an altitude that affords us the opportunity to spot challenges, enhance structures and prepare us for the long haul as we soar higher. Dear esteemed Learned Friends, in respect of timing, this 2026 Conference, according to the hourglass of our Association should focus on our well being as Lawyers and pass the needed resolutions based on the interventions we have significantly progressed in fashioning out. My charge to seek the Welfare of the Lawyers, inspired by the verse in Esther 10:3, continuously rings in my ears. We have gathered much traction and we are on the verge of implementing these measures. A healthy, respectable, well positioned, futuristic Bar will be a haven for members and a blessing to any nation. Our penchant to improve upon our ethical standards coupled with our unalloyed integrity will be our hallmark, especially as our numbers will soon experience a dramatic increase with the full implementation of the Legal Education Act 2026, Act 1170. We have to prioritize the Welfare of our members as a good spring board for launching into the Future.

Our flagship project is our enhanced Welfare package which has taken on board various suggestions made at last year’s Conference and this year’s Mid-year Conference. The decisions made at this Conference will give us the nod to see to its implementation. To effectively implement the Welfare Package, the Bar in addition to the Welfare Committee under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Daniel Owusu Nyampong, also has a Welfare Fund Committee chaired by the Immediate Past President, Mr. Yaw Boafo, who with the support of our National Treasurer, Mrs. Amelia Croffie, have grown the Welfare Fund significantly to a little over Ten Million cedis. I can assure you the fund is burgeoning and investment opportunities are beckoning. Thus, our next steps will be taken prudently. This financial growth has given us the gravitas to consider rolling out a new health insurance package, and we have opted for a medical insurance scheme which is expected to cover both outpatient and inpatient benefits upon the payment of a specified premium. In addition, we intend to increase our death benefits and put in place measures to facilitate a seamless , expedited release of same to the legal representatives of the estates of deceased members. Our numbers have also positioned us to attract well negotiated low interest facilities for the acquisition of vehicles and houses under mortgage schemes for members, especially the young Lawyers. Some Car Companies are now available to assist members make their choices. To qualify for all these benefits, one has to be a member of the Association in good standing.

Another welfare related scheme which will be introduced at this Conference is the NFC Card – Near Field Communication Card. Beyond serving as an identity card and business card, this multipurpose security card will securely transmit the business details of members when tapped against another phone. The NFC Card also has all the necessary details of each member in good standing as provided on our Bar portal. The Card entitles you to various discounts from some departmental shops, Hotels, Travel and Tour Companies, Real Estate Companies and Realtors, Spas, beauty and wellness entities, sports and media networks, access to Airport lounges in Ghana and a gamut of benefits. Once again, to qualify for this card you need to be a member of the Association in good standing.

Yet another initiative we have advanced since we came into office which bodes well for our welfare is the construction of Bar Centers across the regions, starting with those that have identified and acquired lands for this purpose. The Ghana Bar Association painstakingly followed the necessary process for the holding of an Ideas Competition organised by the Institute of Architects to identify three top Bar Center models, each model costing 7 million cedis which covers the entire construction cost, including floor works and reasonable ground works. The soft finishing would be the Bar’s responsibility. Regional Bars have been advised to procure sufficient land for the future expansion of their respective projects and to have an income generating component of the project to assist maintain the Center and the Regional Bar. Each Bar Center model has these basic features- Offices for the President and Secretary, Conference rooms, a library, committee rooms, a kitchen/eating area, office Administrator and accountant. From the opening of the legal year next month- October, fundraising events would be held in regions that are ready to run with this vision. Currently, the Volta-Oti, Ashanti and Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Bars are seriously lacing their boots to take advantage of this scheme.

Still mindful of the welfare of our members, the Remunerations Committee set up in response to representations made at the Heads of Chambers and Legal Departments Breakfast both in Accra and Kumasi this year, with regard to market premium issues and remuneration of young Lawyers, now will have its full compliment to continue with its deliberations . The Executives of the Young Lawyers’ Forum elected into office at the maiden Young Lawyers’ Forum Annual General Meeting held on July 7, 2026, with its President being Dr. Ephrim Noah Adamtey Tetteh, have been assured of pending work to be undertaken, which includes the production of a thorough report on the two beneficiaries of the Committee’s work which is dear to the heart of our affected young Lawyers and government employees. These deliberations would have to involve the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Ghana, where our public servants are concerned.

For the second time running, this year, we have provided Crèche facilities at the Conference venue for our toddlers and youth club activities for the young teenagers. For the welfare of members of the Bar who required assistance with their children to enable them to participate fully at the Conference, these services provide a breather and care is available from morning till evening.

Members, on Wednesday at this Conference, we shall have the opportunity to delve deeper into these matters, to pave the way for the enjoyment of these benefits by members in good standing. It has been suggested that there should be a Welfare Officer on the National Executive who will have an oversight of various Welfare matters, working with the welfare committees and ensuring that our members in good standing receive expeditious relief.

With these elaborate Welfare interventions which will be publicized by our Public Relations Officer- Mr Savior Kudze and Mrs Laurentia Adeka, may I proceed, with your kind permission to some weightier matters of public interest. Usually, a Judge who is seised with a brief that attracts considerable public attention that fills one’s court room with interested persons, would ask the Court Clerk to call a particular case out of turn, so that it can be dealt with before other cases. With your kind permission, I wish to call the case of The Republic versus the Judiciary. The facts of the case are in respect of the subtle and sometimes overt communication by members of the Judiciary, indicating unequivocally that they are in office to promote the bidding of another arm of Government, especially the Executive, its ultimate appointing authority. The recent commendation of a public institution and the comparison to a past Government’s output by no mean a person than the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, left much to be desired. We do not want to believe that what happened is a fulfillment of Mathew 12:34, which says “Out of the abundance of the Heart, the mouth speaketh”. Respectfully, the Judicial Secretary’s attempted defense of the Chief Justice was at best, lackluster. The Bar wishes to serve a reminder that much as it is poised to protect the Independence of the Judiciary as per Article 128 (4)of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the guarded must stay within their bounds as dictated by their calling in the Constitution. Justice Yonny Kulende, a Justice of the Supreme Court, in the case ELORM KWAMI GORNI V AG AND NHC (unreported Writ No. JI/0872020) had this to say :

“ We note that Chiefs are not alone in having their free speech rights so restricted. Holders of independent institutional or statutory offices, notably judges, members of the Electoral Commission, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the National Commission on Civic Education, are by implication from their independent status, similarly constrained in their freedom or ability to actively take sides in partisan politics.”

A word to the wise is enough, as Ghanaians have become very discerning and would frown on tainted Justice. Respectfully, kindly ponder prayerfully your career choice and ensure you are at peace with its dictates, before submitting to same.

At our maiden fully virtual Mid-year Conference on June 5,2026, some resolutions were passed, one being in respect of excessive bail conditions. It was resolved bail conditions imposed by investigative and prosecutorial authorities should always conform to the requirements of article 14 of the 1992 Constitution and must be reasonable, proportionate and consistent with the presumption of innocence. It has been suggested that for the proper monitoring of Article 14 and other Human Rights provisions in the Constitution, a Human Rights Watch Committee ought to be considered to give the citizenry some assurance that in cases where social commentators, such as the arrest of Tik Talkers, the Committee would be able to give the requisite legal Aid to suspects.

With regard to the Constitutional Review Committee work, an extensive presentation was made by Lawyer Victor Brobbey at this year’s Mid-year Conference on June 5, 2026 . He brought participants up to speed on the work of the Committee relating to the future of the Legal Profession and urged the Association to participate actively in discussions concerning. The proposed legislative framework governing nominations and representations and to closely monitor development affecting legal professional representation on key Constitutional bodies, particularly the Judicial Council. It has been suggested that given the number of proposed amendments which seeks to create a practically new constitution, a more consultative approach should be adapted similar to the setting a Constituent Assembly which has been done before in this Country. The Bar is taking a keen interest in these suggestions.

This legal year, the afternoon Court system became fully functional and the Court Monitoring Committee, headed by our Vice President, Mrs Victoria Barth has conducted a survey on its exception and efficacy. The results, as well as further sampling will be undertaken during the Conference Business session. Also, without any fear of sounding repetitive, we would repeat our call for the third time on the activation of the Court Alert application which instantaneously would give members an indication of Courts that for one reason or the other would not sit, to forestall needless perilous journeys being made to Court, especially by lawyers. At the Durbar which climaxed the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court, on July 2028, the Chief Justice made mention of some interventions which were to be rolled out. The Bar is ready to partner with the Judiciary to make it a reality and we are confident that this would be a legacy project worth remembering.

On the implementation of the new Legal Education Act, the Bar Council had the opportunity to dialogue with Professor Raymond Atuguba. Being a close door meeting, the Ghana Bar Association is calling upon the Government to establish the Governing Board of the Council in accordance with Section 4 of the Act. The deeds of this Governing Board will lend legitimacy to processes being undertaken in furtherance of the Legal Education Act. The Association wishes to register its appreciation for the inauguration of the ADR Centre Council on Wednesday September 9th, 2026. We eagerly await the transformation of the face of ADR in Ghana. The Center’s visibility would provide investors with the needed comfort to do business in Ghana knowing that an institution of its calibre has been established to accredit ADR practitioners and promote ADR.

The Public Tribunals Act has also attracted significant attention of the Bar. The Bar`s Legal Committee headed by Mr Ace Annan Ankomah is seised with this matter has started analyzing and researching on this important matter and shall in due course make its position known.

However, it is pertinent to state that, the Bar shall carefully examine its provisions against constitutional standards from the Jurisdiction Conferred, the appointing authorities, mode of arriving at decisions, fair trial standards, independence of the Tribunals and its necessity in this our present time guided by our history of such Tribunals. Be rest assured that, the Bar shall not relent on its efforts to hold statutory and governmental bodies to the constitutional standards of our country for our common good. On the fight against galamsey, the Bar must be candid. Government’s stated commitment will amount to little more than rhetoric if it is not matched by consistent and impartial enforcement. It is particularly troubling that persons associated with political parties are alleged to be openly involved in the menace, while our forests, water bodies and farmlands continue to suffer.

The Ghana Bar Association calls on Government to translate into action the positions and commitments it so forcefully espoused in its campaign and its repeated calls for an end to galamsey. The Ghanaian people expect those commitments to be brought to fruition, not for Government to perpetuate the very practices it previously condemned in its predecessors. The fight against galamsey cannot be selective or partisan. The law must apply equally to all, regardless of political affiliation, position or influence. We must have the political will to enforce the law without fear or favour, protect our natural resources and safeguard the future of our country.

To start my descent on an exciting note, you recall that at the last Conference in Wa, I threw a subtle challenge to our brothers in Nigeria and reiterated the fact that Africa was looking to them as the next Country to take a cue from Ghana and elect a Female Bar President. Esteemed learned friends, it has happened .The Nigeria Bar Association that boasts a membership of about 200,000 Lawyers, elected Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya as its thirty-third Bar President and she was inducted into office together with her new executive on the last day of the just ended Nigeria Annual Bar Association Conference held in Port Harcourt from the 21st – 28th of August, 2026. The Ghana Bar Association was ably represented by Mrs. Sheila Minka Premo, the President of the Women’s Forum of the Ghana Bar Association and my good self at this momentous event.

Next year, the Ghana-UK Law Week will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. This coincides with the 70th Anniversary of the Ghana Bar Association. Already, the conversation has started and it will be a year of celebrations. On that note, I declare the two celebrations duly launched. May Justice run down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, flowing abundantly. Amos 5:24.

My Dear Learned Friends, the GBA has diamonds on the soles of her feet. God placed it there years ago. It shall continue to glitter for all to see. Be a part of it and enjoy the honor and blessing.

Thank you for your kind attention. Enjoy the Conference and God bless us all.