A private legal practitioner has registered his displeasure with the manner some issues were treated during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee, Sophia Akuffo.
Kofi Bentil told Emefa Apawu on Joy FM’s Top Story Friday the depth to which some of the issues were handled was not satisfactory.
Although he said he was impressed with both the “questions and the answers” he believes discussions could have been deeper to allow for a better appreciation of the issues raised.
Justice Akuffo was vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee for seven long hours over her appointment as the country’s next Chief Justice.
She was quizzed on broad range of issues bordering on legal education, some rulings given by the Supreme Court to the independence of the judiciary.
When asked if she supports the suggestion that the Ghana School of Law be scrapped, the Harvard trained lawyer said it will affect legal training in the country.
“I am not one of those who subscribe to the Ghana School of Law being scrapped,” Justice Akuffo said, adding the function of the school is to provide practical training to students.
“What happens in the universities at the faculties of law is that they educate people academically on the law [but] the Ghana School of Law is a professional training facility and that is where the theories learnt in classrooms are supposed to be taught from a more practical point of view,” she said.
On the independence of the judiciary, the CJ nominee said she will shield the third arm of government from all external influences.
Private legal practitioner, Kofi Bentil
“The judicial process is supposed to be insulated not only from political influences but from all forms of influences [and] many interventions [have to be put in place] part of it has to do with enforcing the code of conduct of judges,” she said.
Showing a lot of stamina, Justice Sophia Akuffo, remained in her seat for the entire hours she was grilled and answered one question after the other from the 30-member strong Committee.
Despite a suggestion by Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu for the process to be put on hold for thirty minutes, the nominee declined.
“The Chief Justice showed a lot of stamina and it was good,” Mr Bentil said, adding “I come away very impressed with the CJ and think the President made a good choice.”
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Victor Kojoga Adawudu praised Justice Akuffo for demonstrating “competence” at the vetting.
“She showed that she knows her job or the office she is going and that she is ready to do the job,” he said.
But the legal practitioner was not happy with the manner the CJ nominee handled the issues on legal education. Mr Adawudu said it was an issue he had expected Justice Akuffo to explain further but she did not.
The CJ nominee declined questions on the matter because it was before court and commenting on it will be prejudicial.
The case against the General Legal Council was filed by US-based Ghanaian, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare which is questioning the legality of processes used by the Ghana School of Law to admit LL.B holders into the professional law course.
In the writ, the Minnesota-based Professor said the number of students admitted into the Law School is grossly small which undermines the interest of law practice in the country.
