Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has questioned the political neutrality of the Ghana Bar Association, saying the perception that its leadership is aligned with the opposition NPP continues to persist.
Asked whether he believed the GBA was politically aligned with the NPP, Srem-Sai stopped short of making a definitive claim.
“We hope they are not. It is our prayer that they are truly not,” he said.
He said the perception had been strengthened by what he described as the GBA’s selective approach to criticising judicial officers.
His comments followed GBA President Efua Ghartey’s criticism of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over remarks concerning the performance of state-owned enterprises under the current administration compared with the previous government.
Ghartey said the remarks “left much to be desired”, adding to the public debate over the Chief Justice’s comments.
Srem-Sai said the issue was not simply Ghartey’s criticism of Baffoe-Bonnie, but the broader perception created by the GBA’s choice of when to speak.
“The point we are making is that the perception or the reality seems to persist. They pick and choose as and when they want to criticise,” he said.
“All their picking and choosing seem to align to a particular political party’s interests. That’s the issue.”
He also pointed to comments from members of Parliament’s Minority in defence of the GBA during the controversy.
“The very fact that they are even comparing the Chief Justice with the Ghana Bar Association and accusing the Chief Justice of being an NDC Chief Justice is an admission that they are aligned somehow with the Ghana Bar Association,” he stated.
Srem-Sai maintained that the concern was about the perception surrounding the GBA rather than a direct declaration that the association is politically aligned with the NPP.
