Human rights lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has been suspended by the General Legal Council (GLC) from practicing as a lawyer for a total of six years.
He is said to have been found guilty of professional misconduct by contravening the ethical code of the council.
Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu of F-X Law & Associates has reportedly told Accra based radio station Citi FM that he intends to appeal the decision.
Francis Agyare, a client of Mr Sosu is said to have lodged the complaint against the lawyer.
Mr Sosu’s client, Francis Agyare filed a complaint at the council and accused him of excessive charges for services rendered even though Mr Sosu represented to him that he was providing the services on pro bono.
Mr Sosu represented Agyare in a compensation claim after he unlawfully spent 14 years without trial in jail.
A Human Rights Court in 2014, awarded GH¢200,000 damages to the 46-year-old Agyare.
He charged him GH¢50,000.00 which was deemed excessive and an over- estimation of the services rendered to a client, Francis Agyare, when he represented to him that he was offering pro bono legal services.
He is also said to have failed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council on June 9, 2016.
The other charge is taking to Facebook with pictures of the parties in a case and making comments on the case to the public with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.
He was subsequently sentenced to a period of three (3) years suspension on each of the charges, commencing June 2, 2017 and ending on June 1, 2020.
The council also found him guilty for advertising himself on social media in respect of his recent cases involving Patrick Reynolds who was paralyzed following an accident during a rainstorm where a billboard fell on him at flower pot on the Spintex Road in Accra.
Below is a copy of the announcement by the General Legal Council
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL SUSPENSION OF LAWYER FRANCIS XAVIER SOSU LEGAL PRACTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu is hereby suspended from legal practice for a period of period of three (3) years commencing 2nd day of June, 2017 and ending on 1st day of June, 2020.
There were two cases against him, to wit:
Complaint of Francis Agyare against Francis Xavier Sosu
Lawyer Sosu was formally charged under Rule 9 (9) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 that he; having assisted Mr. Francis Agyare, in Human Rights litigation in Accra, charged him GH¢50,000.00 which was excessive and an over- estimation of the services rendered to him, when he represented to him that he was offering pro bono legal services.
He was also charged under Section 19(5) of the Legal Profession Act that he, having been duly notified, failed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council on 9th June, 2016.
Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts.
2. Conduct of Lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu
The Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules. 1969 L.I. 613 that he; while acting as Counsel for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede XIV and the Chief of Defence Staff, Minister of Interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and made comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.
He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 that he; while acting as Counsel for Patrick Reynolds Yeboah, in a matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX Company Limited Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) Accra, Ghana Standard Authority Accra, National Road Safety Commission, Accra, took to Facebook posting the Writ of Summons in the said case and made comments to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.
Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts and was sentenced to a period of three (3) years suspension commencing 2 day of June, 2017 and ending on 1st day of June, 2020.
He is to be mentored by a senior for a period of one year commencing 2nd June, 2020 and ending on 1st June, 2021.
The senior to mentor him shall lodge periodic reports on him to the General Legal Council’s Disciplinary Committee at the end of every month during the mentorship period.
Both sentences run concurrently. During the period of suspension, he shall not hold himself out as a Legal Practitioner or attend Chambers, or render, or purport to render any professional legal service to any person whomsoever, wheresoever.
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