The Ghana Law Society (GLS) has demanded an immediate retraction and unqualified apology from Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader in Parliament, over what it calls “repeated attacks” and “veiled threats” directed at members of the judiciary.
In a press release issued today and signed by its Director of Communications, Apanga Lamtiig Abugri, the GLS said comments attributed to Mr. Afenyo-Markin “risk undermining public confidence in the administration of justice and eroding respect for the courts.”
The Society pointed to Afenyo-Markin’s recent social media post and earlier remarks describing a sitting judge as “shameful,” saying such statements “go beyond the bounds of legitimate criticism.”
It added that warnings to judges that they “will be on their own” or implying future political retribution “undermine the security and independence that judicial officers require.”
Ultimatum, apologise or face GLC:
GLS “unequivocally calls on Osahene Afenyo-Markin to immediately retract these unsavoury comments and render an unqualified apology to members of the judiciary.”
It warned that failure to comply will leave the Society with “no option but to initiate appropriate proceedings before the General Legal Council (GLC) to ensure accountability in accordance with the rules governing the legal profession.”
The demand was reiterated at the close of the release as in “failure to comply will compel the Society to proceed with formal action before the General Legal Council to uphold professional standards and protect the integrity of Ghana’s justice system.”
‘Not above legitimate criticism’ — but tone matters:
The GLS stressed it is not against scrutiny of courts because “Judicial decisions are open to scrutiny and debate,” but release however, said, “there is a clear and important distinction between reasoned critique and language that can reasonably be interpreted as intimidation.”
It argued that when a senior political figure who is also a lawyer “repeatedly directs hostile rhetoric toward judges, it sends a troubling signal” and suggests an attempt “to pressure, influence, or delegitimise judicial authority.”
The Society said Afenyo-Markin, as a lawyer, is bound by the Legal Profession Act and ethical rules that “emphasise respect for the courts, integrity in public communication, and a duty to uphold the administration of justice.” As Minority Leader, it added, he has “an even greater responsibility” to model “restraint, responsibility, and respect for the rule of law.”
Judiciary not an adversary
“The judiciary must be allowed to operate without fear of reprisal, whether immediate or future,” the GLS said.
“Any suggestion that judicial officers should align themselves with political expectations or face consequences for failing to do so, is incompatible with constitutional democracy.”
The release concluded that “the judiciary is not an adversary to be confronted but a pillar to be protected. All who hold positions of influence, especially those within the legal profession, have a duty to ensure that it remains strong, independent, and worthy of the public’s trust.”
Mr. Afenyo-Markin is yet to respond publicly to the GLS statement.
