GLC, CJ has no power to ‘summon’ media house – H. Prempeh, Bentil, Gaspar argue

Executive Director of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Prof H. Kwasi Prempeh, Lawyer Gasper Lyle Nii-Aponsah, and Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, have argued that the General Legal Council (GLC) has no power to summon a media house.

The GLC summoned the General Manager of ABC Television, to appear before one of its Committees over his interview regarding the recent Law School exam.

A letter signed by the Judicial Secretary, Cynthia Pamela A. Addo under the instruction of the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, invited Gordon Asare Bediako to appear Tuesday “at the Conference Room on the Second Floor of the Law Court Complex at 1pm.”

“You are to appear with the full recording of all your recent interview with Mr Kwaku Ansa Asare regarding the recent Ghana School of Law entrance examination,” it continued.

Reacting to this under a facebook post of Prof Azar, Prof Prempeh laughed and explained why.

“Hahaha. And where does the GLC or CJ as head of GLC get the power to summon a media station manager to appear before the GLC? You would expect them to know that the administrative and disciplinary powers of the GLC do not extend to the person to whom this letter has been directed. The addressee should treat the letter with deserved contempt.”

Kofi Bentil of IMANI added, The Legal principle which applies here is “Quo Warranto” ie with what Authority??”.

Many others agreed with them.

Legal practioner, Gasper Lyle Aponsah added:

“H Kwasi Prempeh it is not even a “summon”. It is an “invitation” but over there at the mighty Orient, they treat it like a summons. They wrote me one, and out of respect, I appeared. When I tried to seek clarification as to whether the letter implied a summons despite its “invitation” tag, I received a cheeky answer as to whether the members of the committee did not know the difference between an “invitation” and a “summons”. The eventual result of my experience there is that I was “reprimanded”, a term that constitutes a sanction in their rules although check this >>> I was never even formally charged for anything, or any plea taken for anything, or a clear admission of guilt obtained for anything, or a trial held for anything, or a conviction obtained for ANYTHING. They went straight from an invitation to a “sanction/punishment” without any of these critical steps I’ve just outlined. These are the people in charge of LEGAL education in Ghana today. I might even get summoned for writing this because I later found out from well-meaning seniors who advised me to let the matter go that “they had blessed me with a slap on the wrist”. Again, this is the kind of law being practiced by those teaching law in Ghana today. God bless Ghana THOUGH”