GBA has become ‘ventilating association’ for NPP – Dafeamekpor

Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi Member of Parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has questioned the political neutrality of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), accusing it of increasingly amplifying concerns associated with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He alleged that the association’s recent comments on the Judiciary and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie had largely reflected positions previously advanced by NPP members and sympathisers.

“I have always made the point that the GBA has become a ventilating association for the opposition party, which is the New Patriotic Party,” Mr Dafeamekpor said.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, September 14, 2026, the MP referred to the GBA’s concerns about legal vacation and its criticism of the Chief Justice as examples of what he described as a recurring trend.

According to him, the association had sometimes issued statements on allegations raised by lawyers linked to the NPP without adequately establishing the facts. He claimed that the GBA’s criticism of the Chief Justice over the scheduling of cases during legal vacation was based on inaccurate information.

“If you accuse a CJ of setting up a court during a vacation to hear certain cases and those facts are most inaccurate, the proper thing to do, the professional thing to do is to apologise,” he said.

Mr Dafeamekpor said the GBA’s conduct raised questions about whether it was exercising independent judgment or merely responding to political narratives.

“Does it mean that the Ghana Bar Association is not independent? Must it always or only toe the line of a political party? Is it that the president of the Ghana Bar Association does not have an independent mind to speak on matters?” he asked.

His remarks follow criticism by GBA President Efua Ghartey of comments made by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who compared the performance of some state institutions under the current government with that of the previous eight years.

Ms Ghartey described the Chief Justice’s comments as concerning, warning that they could create the perception that the Judiciary was taking sides with the Executive.

Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has also appealed to the Chief Justice to avoid political commentary on matters that could later become the subject of court proceedings.

Mr Dafeamekpor, however, argued that the GBA had devoted excessive attention to political controversies while failing to give adequate prominence to important developments within the legal profession.

He cited legal reforms involving legal education and the creation of district tribunals, saying such issues deserved greater attention during the association’s national conference.

The South Dayi MP also accused the GBA President of adopting an overly confrontational posture towards the Chief Justice.

“I’ve listened to her, and I’ve seen that she’s just on an attack spree, attacking the Chief Justice, attacking everyone,” he said.

Mr Dafeamekpor maintained that lawyers and professional bodies had a duty to defend the Judiciary against unjustified attacks. However, he stressed that such interventions should be guided by verified facts and conducted without partisan influence.