A-G opts out of General Legal Council case

The legal rumpus between an Accra-based lawyer, Seth Kwame Awuku, and the General Legal Council (GLC) over the striking out of his name from the roll of lawyers yesterday commenced at an Accra Fast Track High Court Human Rights Division.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General (A-G), through a senior state attorney, William Opoku Agyarko, applied to the court presided over by Sir Justice Dennis Adjei, an Appeals Court judge sitting with additional responsibility, for the A-G to be precluded from the matter.

Andrew Daniels, counsel for the applicant who filed a judicial review against the decision of the Council to strike out his name from the roll of lawyers, stated that they were opposed to application and the trial judge stated that the plaintiff wanted some declarations to be made by the court in relation to the matter.

According to the trial judge, it was the wrong forum because he did not have the jurisdiction to make such declarations and asked the applicant to proceed to the Supreme Court, the appropriate forum for such matters.

Counsel for the applicant consequently prayed to be given some time to consider their next move, as a result of which Sir Justice Adjei had the matter adjourned to November 19, 2015.

The applicant filed an application for review at the court after the GLC struck out his name from the roll of lawyers after allegations of misconduct were levelled against him.

Awuku wants the court to order the Legal Council to capture his name in the roll of lawyers to enable him practice his profession.

The Accra-based lawyer also wants the Human Rights Court to declare that the action of the Council responsible for regulating the conduct of lawyers in the country was wrongful and that section 16 A of the Legal Profession Act was unconstitutional.