Has the Ghana Bar Association Shed Its Neutrality to Become the NPP's Legal Wing?

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has long presented itself as the guardian of judicial independence and the rule of law in our country. But recent events have forced many Ghanaians, including me, to ask an uncomfortable but justifiable question. Has this respected professional body abandoned its non-partisan stance to become what critics now sarcastically call the "NPP Bar Association"? The pattern of selective outrage is too glaring to ignore, and it threatens to permanently damage the legal profession's credibility.

During eight years of Akufo-Addo's NPP government, the GBA maintained a curious silence on numerous constitutional crises and governance failures that would have ordinarily triggered their strong condemnation. When the president controversially appointed a record number of judges in what legal experts described as court-packing, the Bar's leadership barely murmured. As corruption scandals like the PDS power deal and the missing excavators saga unfolded with clear evidence of state complicity, the lawyers' umbrella body remained conspicuously muted. Even when citizens lost their lives during the 2020 elections, the GBA's response lacked the moral urgency one would expect from an institution supposedly committed to justice.

Yet today, under President Mahama's administration, the Association has suddenly rediscovered its voice with remarkable vigor. Their swift and forceful intervention in the suspension of Chief Justice Torkornoo stands in stark contrast to their timid approach when NPP-aligned Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah faced similar scrutiny. This isn't an isolated incident but part of a disturbing historical pattern. Recall how in 2015, during Mahama's previous term, the GBA loudly criticized judicial delays, but in 2018, when Akufo-Addo sidelined the Judicial Council in key appointments, the same organization maintained puzzling silence.

The double standards became even more apparent when we examined the GBA's response to parliamentary misconduct. In 2022, when NPP lawmakers violently disrupted parliamentary proceedings during the Speaker election - an unprecedented assault on legislative democracy - the GBA's reaction was tepid at best. Contrast this with their fiery statements whenever NDC legislators engage in similar misconduct.

This partisan inconsistency has not gone unnoticed by ordinary Ghanaians who increasingly view the Bar Association as just another political actor rather than the independent moral compass it claims to be. When a professional body only finds its voice under governments of a particular political persuasion, it ceases to be an honest broker and becomes what it has accused others of being an appendage of NPP’s interests.

The legal profession's credibility is built on its perceived neutrality and commitment to principle above politics. The GBA leadership must urgently confront this growing perception of bias before the Association's reputation suffers irreversible damage. This current GBA is required to make more than occasional statements, which must be consistent and principled, regardless of which party occupies the Flagstaff House. The time has come for the Bar to either reaffirm its non-partisan character or admit its political allegiance. Ghana's democracy deserves an independent legal profession, not a professional association that changes its standards with every change of government.

The choice before the GBA is clear. Will it remain Ghana's legal conscience, or will it continue down this dangerous path of being seen as the legal wing of the NPP? The legal community and the nation at large are watching closely. The Association's next moves will either restore its fading credibility or confirm its politicization beyond reasonable doubt. For the sake of our democracy and the integrity of our legal system, one hopes they choose wisely.