'We cannot continue to be a Bar of Accra, by Accra, for Accra' — Ghana Law Society President

More than 190 districts in Ghana have no law firm, and over 72 per cent of practising lawyers are concentrated in just three cities, the President of the newly launched Ghana Law Society (GLS), Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, has revealed.

To close the gap, the GLS is proposing a 12-month structured national service programme for newly qualified lawyers, in partnership with the National Service Secretariat. Under the plan, fresh lawyers would be posted to district assemblies, Legal Aid offices, CHRAJ offices, the Judicial Service, Lands Commission offices and regional offices of the Attorney-General.

Mr Dafeamekpor announced the proposal at the Society's maiden Annual Bar Conference at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra yesterday, where the new association was formally launched by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

A Bar of Ghana
Mr Dafeamekpor, who is also MP for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, said the country has fewer than 8,000 lawyers with active practising certificates, most of them working in Accra, Kumasi and Tema. As a result, citizens in many parts of the country must travel long distances for basic services such as land searches, tenancy agreements, bail applications and legal representation for juveniles.

"We cannot continue to be a Bar of Accra, by Accra, for Accra. We must be a Bar of Ghana, by Ghana, and for Ghana," he said.

He said the situation demands a rethink of how lawyers are trained, posted and made available to the public. Beyond national service, the GLS plans to pursue reforms in legal education, mandatory pro bono work, digitisation, specialisation, professional welfare and legal scholarship.

Laws must work in practice
The conference, held on the theme "Legal reforms — the place of the Ghanaian lawyer," brought together members of the legal profession, the Judiciary, Parliament, government and other stakeholders.

Speaker Bagbin echoed the access-to-justice concern, saying legal reform should be judged by whether citizens can actually reach justice, whether cases are decided within a reasonable time and whether institutions are keeping up with technology. He warned that legislation alone does not deliver justice.

"A beautifully crafted Act of Parliament, that cannot be implemented, [is] little more than an elegant promise," he said.

Describing the lawyer as an "architect of the Republic," Mr Bagbin said lawyers have historically shaped constitutional development, human rights, commerce, public administration, diplomacy and parliamentary work. He urged them to contribute to the country's ongoing constitutional and institutional reforms and to uphold the principle that law must stand above convenience, power and partisan interest.

An economic issue
The Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah, framed legal reform as an economic matter. He said businesses need enforceable contracts, farmers need certainty over land ownership, and young innovators need clear rules on data, digital assets and artificial intelligence. Efficient laws, he said, reduce risk, protect rights and give businesses the certainty to grow.

He cited recent government reforms, including the Legal Education Act, 2026, the Community Service Act, 2026, the Tribunal Act, 2026, and the constitutional review process, and called on lawyers to help turn them into real improvements in people's lives.

Independence and engagement
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, urged lawyers to get involved in legislative drafting, reform of state contracts, public financial management, disciplinary reform and access to justice, rather than only commenting on laws after they are passed.

He also stressed that lawyers' associations must remain independent of political parties and the state, so that the profession can speak on the law and the courts without being seen as serving a political interest.

"The place of the Ghanaian lawyer, in this season of reform, is to be independent enough to be believed and engaged enough to matter," he said.