Lawyers Boycott Courts

Lawyers in the Greater Accra region have begun their boycott of the courts to demand an immediate withdrawal of new filing fees which they say are exorbitant. The fees have shot up from between 20 and 40 thousand cedis to over one million cedis.

In addition to the problems with the rate of increase, the lawyers argue that new fees are illegal because it is not backed by any legislative instrument.

The lawyers have accused the Chief Justice E. K. Wiredu of acting unilaterally and illegally by instituting the new fees. The new filing fee they say is not backed by any constitutional instrument.

Judicial Secretary Emmanuel Owusu Ansah speaking on JOY FM’s Super Morning Show agreed that the implementation of the fees had no legal backing. He said the necessary constitutional instrument has now been forwarded to parliament but disagreed it could not be charged.

After weeks of silent expression of disquiet about the new fees, the lawyers yesterday marched to the forecourt of the Supreme Court complex, where the Chief Justice has his offices to register their protest.

The decision to protest against the fees was taken just around the same time that the President of the Bar Association, Paul Adu-Gyamfi emerged from a meeting with the Chief Justice without any positive news.

Legal Practitioner Frank Davies says members of the bar will continue their boycott until the legal defects are corrected.

Joy NEWS gathers that the decision to boycott court proceedings has been fully sanctioned by the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Bar Association.

Some lawyers however called JOY NEWS backing the new fees. On e of them was unwilling to discuss the issue of legality but contended that the increase was long overdue.