'You cannot pressure GBA into issuing statements' – Yaw Boafo to critics

President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Acheampong Boafo, has defended the association’s careful approach to public statements, particularly regarding sensitive legal matters.

In an interview on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, Mr. Boafo addressed criticisms that the GBA had been silent on key issues under his leadership, such as the controversial ambulance trial.

“The GBA cannot afford to issue a statement in relation to pending proceedings,” he asserted, explaining that doing so could undermine the integrity of ongoing legal processes.

Boafo expanded on the GBA’s position, noting that while public demand often calls for immediate responses, the association must prioritise adherence to due process and legal propriety.

“The public space is very heated now, so people are looking for validation from the GBA, but we have a responsibility to ensure that our actions do not interfere with the judicial process,” he noted. Despite facing backlash for not commenting during the trial, Boafo insisted that the GBA’s restraint was a matter of principle. “How does the GBA issue a statement in relation to a matter pending before the court? We can’t do that. The others can, but we can’t,” he emphasised.

The GBA President acknowledged that the legal environment has become increasingly politicised, with various groups attempting to leverage the Bar’s authority to support their causes.

“People want the GBA to act as a sort of moral authority, but we must be careful not to be drawn into political battles,” he warned. He pointed out that while other professional bodies may issue statements quickly, the GBA operates under a different tradition and must maintain that standard. “We have a tradition, so I cannot afford to deviate from that,” he said.

Reflecting on an incident that occurred, he voiced, “There was this back and forth, and I was telling them, if we had spoken, the GBA could not afford a gap. We don’t have a margin of error,” he remarked, underscoring the stakes involved in the association’s public communications. “It’s not like we’ve kept quiet; we’re just mindful of the implications of our statements.”