Deputy Education Minister Clement Apaak has sharply criticized the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) for its resolution demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Chief Justice, accusing the legal body of selective activism.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Builsa South MP dismissed the GBA’s stance as politically motivated, asserting that President John Mahama would not be “distracted by a seasonal association that only finds its voice when the NDC is in power.”
The GBA had earlier issued a statement condemning the Chief Justice’s suspension as an affront to judicial independence, urging the president to reverse the decision. But Apaak challenged the association to pursue legal action if it believed due process was violated: “The courts are there let them go if they think laws were broken,” he wrote.
Political analysts interpret the deputy minister’s combative response as signaling the government’s refusal to back down amid mounting pressure from professional groups. The suspension, has polarized public discourse, with opposition figures and civil society echoing the GBA’s concerns.
Legal experts note that the GBA’s options include seeking a judicial review or escalating advocacy through constitutional channels. However, Apaak’s framing of the association as an NDC-aligned actor risks further politicizing the dispute, potentially undermining broader efforts to resolve the impasse through institutional mechanisms.
The standoff highlights growing tensions between Ghana’s executive and judicial branches, with the presidency’s next move likely to set a precedent for handling similar crises. As of press time, the GBA had not responded to Apaak’s provocation, leaving observers to watch whether it will translate its rhetoric into litigation.
The Chief Justice’s suspension marks weeks since Ghana’s judiciary faced such direct executive action, reviving debates about the 1992 Constitution’s checks and balances. How this unfolds could test the resilience of Ghana’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2028 elections.