Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP Rockson‑Nelson Dafeamekpor said on Monday, September 14, 2026 that the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has increasingly become a "ventilating association" for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He alleged that the professional body’s recent interventions on judiciary matters mirror positions advanced by the opposition party, calling into question its independence.
Dafeamekpor cited the GBA’s concerns over legal vacation and its criticism of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie as examples of a pattern he described as a "pattern" of partisan alignment. He said the association sometimes takes up concerns first raised by lawyers he described as NPP members without sufficiently verifying the claims before making public statements. According to him, the GBA’s criticism of the Chief Justice over the scheduling of cases during legal vacation was based on inaccurate information.
He warned that if the GBA accuses a chief justice of setting up a court during a vacation to hear certain cases on false facts, the professional body should apologise. "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 questioned whether the GBA could maintain its independence if its interventions consistently followed issues first raised by a political party or its sympathisers. "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.
The comments come amid criticism by GBA President Efua Ghartey of remarks by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie comparing the performance of some state institutions under the current administration with the previous eight years. Ms Ghartey described the Chief Justice’s remarks as troubling and warned that they could create the impression that the Judiciary was aligning itself with the Executive. Former Auditor‑General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has also urged the Chief Justice to exercise restraint on political matters that could potentially become subjects of litigation.
Mr Dafeamekpor accused the GBA of becoming overly focused on political controversies while neglecting what he considers more fundamental developments within the legal profession. He pointed to recent legal reforms, including legislation affecting legal education and the establishment of district tribunals, which he said should have received greater attention at the GBA’s national conference. He further alleged that the association’s interventions on the Chief Justice had become excessive. "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.
He maintained that lawyers and professional associations have a responsibility to protect the Judiciary from public harm, but argued that such interventions must be based on facts and undertaken without partisan considerations. The GBA has yet to respond to the accusations.
