Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Acheampong Boafo, has criticised the Constitution Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendation to remove the association from the 1992 Constitution, describing the proposal as politically motivated by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking in an interview on Good Evening Ghana, Mr Boafo dismissed the recommendation as unfounded, noting that none of the constitutional bodies on which the GBA is represented have complained about its performance or relevance.
The GBA currently holds seats on key constitutional bodies, including the Police Council, Immigration Council, General Legal Council, Judicial Council and the National Media Commission.
Mr Boafo questioned the basis of the CRC’s recommendation, asking whether there was any empirical evidence to show that GBA representatives had failed to discharge their duties effectively on these bodies.
He further noted that even former President Jerry John Rawlings, despite past tensions with the association, acknowledged the GBA’s importance by ensuring its inclusion in the Constitution.
According to him, the renewed push to remove the GBA is driven more by partisan considerations than by any substantive or evidence-based critique.
“They are articulating a partisan argument, not because it is empirical. Only openly partisan lawyers complained about the GBA, and the CRC conceded that point. I have a problem with that,” he said.
Mr Boafo expressed concern that the CRC accepted the proposal without justification from the affected councils, warning that such a move undermines the GBA’s longstanding and critical role in Ghana’s democratic and constitutional framework.
