Anas Judges Expose: Allow sacked judges practice as lawyers - NDC MP

A Member of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Rockson Dafiamekpor says there is the need for the judges who were dismissed following the judges expose by Anas Aremeyaw Anas be allowed to practice as lawyers.

According to him, the judges were removed based on an administrative decision and no court criminally found them guilty.

He is therefore admonishing the affected judges to seek redress at the law court and file a case in court.

The legislator told Rainbow Radio’s parliamentary correspondent Afia Kwarteng that, the judges were not criminally found liable for any of the offences.

He said, "if you have sacked someone and have said he or she can no longer be a judge, it is okay but the person should be able to practice as a lawyer. You can’t deny him that right. It looks as if we are going against an important organization-the General Legal Council which is also largely composed by superior court judges.’’’

He was worried the issue has been treated in a unfair manner and has asked Ghanaians to question the decision.

Mr Defiamekpor is also wondering why the General Legal Council has refused licenses for lawyers who were formerly judges who served on the lower benches particularly magistrate and circuit court judges.

"The former judges should be allowed to practice as lawyers. Their licenses should be renewed for them to work so they will be able to take care of their families.’’

Twenty judges and magistrates were in 2015 sacked in Ghana after being found guilty of bribery.

The dismissals followed a thorough investigation into allegations of corruption in the judiciary, Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood said.

The sacked judges and magistrates were from lower courts, and had been investigated by a committee appointed by the chief justice. One judge was cleared of the charges.

A second inquiry, focusing on similar allegations against 12 High Court judges, has not yet concluded its work.

Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas handed over nearly 500 hours of video evidence on tape to the chief justice in August.