Francis Xavier Sosu’s three year ban excessive – Kweku Asare

The three-year ban slapped on human rights lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu by the General Legal Council (GLC) is too harsh, Kweku Asare, a US-based Ghanaian professor, has said.

The GLC statement suspending him from legal practice stated: “The disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he, while acting as counsel for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defence Staff, Minister of Interior, Attorney General and another, took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.”

Additionally, the document explained that the lawyer was “further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he, while acting as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra, Ghana, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address, and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement.”

But commenting on this matter on his Facebook page, Professor Asare said: “No matter where one stands on the impugned actions, one cannot justify a three-year ban.

“It is excessive, unusual and cruel.”