GLC chases Justice Appau over suspension of lawyer Sosu

THE GENERAL Legal Council (GLC) of the Judicial Service has filed a motion at the Supreme Court to pray the court to review a decision Justice Yaw Appau made to grant leave to suspended human rights lawyer, Francis Sosu, to appeal his sanction.

Lawyer Sosu was last year barred for three years by the disciplinary committee of the GLC from practising after he was found guilty of professional misconduct.

In court yesterday before a sole judge, Justice Appau, lawyers for Francis Sosu, led by Johnson Normesinu, told Justice Appau that information available to him (lawyer) from the registry of the court showed that the GLC was seeking a review of his earlier ruling.

Justice Appau indicated that he had not been served with any processes to that effect, a point that was also corroborated by the lawyer. The information came as a surprise to Justice Appau but was quick to assert that it was not the substantive case before him and asked that proceedings for the day continued. Officially, GLC representatives were not in court to give details.

Lawyers of Sosu sought permission to file an additional ground of appeal in their statement of case which was granted by the court with seven-day duration to file same. The case was adjourned sine die.

Background

On February 14, the apex court granted leave to lawyer Sosu to file an appeal against his ban handed to him by the disciplinary committee of the GLC.

The apex court ruled that it would be a great abuse of the fundamental human rights of the applicant, if he was not given the opportunity to be heard at a higher forum other than the disciplinary committee over his three-year suspension.

The GLC in June 2017 barred the prominent human rights lawyer from practising as a lawyer for one year after he was found guilty of professional misconduct.

It followed a complaint filed at the Council by one of his clients, Francis Agyare, accusing Mr Sosu and his law firm, F-X Law and Associates, of attempting to swindle him.

The Council also reached a decision to ban the lawyer for another three years for advertising himself on social media in respect of cases involving Patrick Reynolds, who was paralysed by a fallen billboard at Flower Pot, a suburb of Spintex.