The Greater Accra branch of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has passed a vote of "no confidence" in the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice E.K. Wiredu.
About 50 members of the association took the action by a unanimous vote at a meeting in Accra following last Thursday's decision to boycott the courts in protest of steep increases in filing fees ordered by the Chief Justice.
"Technically for now, we have passed a no confidence vote in him," an executive member confirmed in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.
A spokesman, Mr. Prince Frederick Nii Ashie Neequaye, said the lawyers were unhappy about the order by the Chief Justice, because it ran contrary to laid-down procedures. He said even though the Accra branch had called off its protest last Friday as a result of the suspension of the new fees, some core issues remained unresolved.
These issues include moving of an ex-parte motion, which the Chief Justice had to address.
Mr. Neequaye said the directive by the Chief Justice that the motion could be taken only on Mondays and Wednesdays was an infringement on the rules of court, and that he does not have the authority to give such a directive without passing it through parliament.
The lawyers had described the new filing fees, some of which were more than 1,500 per cent above the old fees, as "illegal" and said they would rule them out of business since their clients would not be able to pay.
But the judiciary said some of the filing fees, which are 10 years old, are unrealistic since some of them could not even pay for the paper and printing cost The Association is expected to hold a press conference Monday to elaborate on the outstanding issues after which it would issue a statement.
