GBA vs GLS: See the top lawyers gearing up for Supreme Court battle

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has lined up some of the country’s top legal minds in the suit filed against it by the Ghana Law Society (GLS) and two members of the society.

The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, a member of the GLS, lawyer Israel Tetteh, and the society sued the Attorney-General and the GBA, challenging the exclusive recognition given to the association due to the reference to a “Ghana Bar Association” in the Constitution of Ghana.

Dafeamekpor and his association now face a major legal challenge, as the GBA has assembled some of its most experienced members to represent it in the case.

According to a report by The Law Platform, the GBA has engaged Ace Anan Ankomah, Kizito Beyuo, and Justin Amenuvor to represent it in the suit.

The three lawyers, who reportedly have over 100 years of combined legal experience, represented the GBA during proceedings on April 9, 2026.

They came up against Dr Jennifred Maurice Adjei, a law lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, who is representing the Ghana Law Society.

Lawyers withdraw from Dafeamekpor, law society case challenging GBA’s legitimacy

More about the suit:

The suit, filed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, invokes the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2(1) and 130(1) of the 1992 Constitution.

The plaintiffs argue that the current GBA, a private voluntary association, should not be treated as the sole representative body for lawyers in the country.

They are seeking seven key declarations, including a request for the court to interpret references to the “Ghana Bar Association” in the Constitution and the Legal Profession Act as generic or umbrella terms, rather than exclusive to the existing GBA.

They contend that granting such exclusive status to a single private group violates constitutional rights to equality and freedom of association, as enshrined in Articles 17 and 21(1)(e) of the 1992 Constitution.

The plaintiffs further argue that the continued recognition of the GBA as the sole voice of legal professionals discriminates against other lawyers’ associations and amounts to an unconstitutional monopoly.

They are also seeking an order to restrain the current GBA from presenting itself as the only constitutionally recognised legal body in the country, describing such a stance as misleading and unlawful.

BAI/MA

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