Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, along with private legal practitioner Israel Tetteh, and the Ghana Law Society have filed a writ at the Supreme Court, challenging the exclusive recognition of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in Ghana’s legal and constitutional framework.
Filed on Tuesday September 23, 2025, the suit invokes the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2(1) and 130(1) of the 1992 Constitution. The plaintiffs argue that the current GBA, which operates as a private voluntary association, should not be treated as the sole representative body of lawyers in the country.
They are seeking seven key declarations, including a call for the court to interpret references to the “Ghana Bar Association” in the Constitution and the Legal Profession Act as generic or umbrella terms, rather than referring exclusively to the current GBA.
According to the plaintiffs, granting such exclusive status to one private group violates constitutional rights to equality and freedom of association, as guaranteed under Articles 17 and 21(1)(e) of the 1992 Constitution.
The plaintiffs contend that the continued recognition of the GBA as the sole voice for legal professionals in Ghana discriminates against other lawyer associations and amounts to an unconstitutional monopoly.
They are also requesting an order restraining the current GBA from presenting itself as the only constitutionally recognized legal body in the country, calling such a position misleading and unlawful.
The Attorney-General and the Ghana Bar Association have been named as the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively.
The case will test long-held assumptions about the role of the GBA in Ghana’s legal system and could significantly impact the structure of legal representation and professional associations in the country.
