Private legal practitioner, Ace Ankomah has condemned lead lawyers representing parties involved in the election petition case at the Supreme Court for what appears to be their continual misconduct.
There have been instances where the lawyers for the petitioners and respondents have traded accusations and used words the court considers inappropriate.
During one such arguments on Wednesday, one of the judges on the panel called the lawyers to order saying “I’m surprised in the highest court of the land, the counsel is not giving the right signal to young ones, unfortunately it is being shown live and it is putting us in a very bad light, I think counsel should change. This is a very small matter talk to each other and resolve it.”
The president of the panel of judges, Justice William Atugubah followed it up with a warning asking them to conduct themselves in line with professional ethics.
Endorsing the Bench’s caution in an interview with Citi News, Lawyer Ace Ankomah asked the lawyers to apologize to the bench at the next sitting and also promise to be of good behavior.
“What we see on television tells us that the relationship between the Lawyers has degenerated and it might be the case that things have been said in the past which the court has not clamped down on and tempers have built up over a while; but in accordance with best practices of the Bar sometimes it doesn’t really matter whether you are right or wrong on that small point.”
He reiterated the need for the lead lawyers to obey the instructions of the Bench and move on with the case.
“It is always required of Counsel to take a step back and say my Lord you are right and that is why we say things like “as the Court pleases” or “if it pleases the Court”, there is a certain deference that is shown to the Court.”
Ace Ankomah therefore reminded his colleagues at the Bar especially the lead Counsels to conduct themselves in line with the best practices of the Bar.”
Source: Citifmonline
