Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has questioned the political neutrality of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), accusing the professional body of becoming increasingly involved in controversies surrounding the Judiciary and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
Mr Dafeamekpor argued that recent interventions by the GBA appeared to reflect concerns raised by lawyers and sympathisers of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), raising questions about whether the association was acting independently of partisan interests.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, September 14, 2026, he cited the GBA’s recent comments on legal vacation and its criticism of the Chief Justice as examples of what he described as a growing pattern.
“I have always made the point that the GBA has become a ventilating association for the opposition party, which is the New Patriotic Party,” he said.
According to the MP, professional bodies such as the GBA have a responsibility to scrutinise issues affecting the justice system, but their interventions must be grounded in accurate information and should not be influenced by partisan considerations.
He particularly criticised the association’s position on the Chief Justice’s scheduling of cases during the legal vacation, arguing that the GBA had made its concerns public without sufficiently establishing the facts.
“If you accuse a CJ of setting up a court during a vacation to hear certain cases and those facts are most inaccurate, the proper thing to do, the professional thing to do is to apologise,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor questioned whether the GBA could maintain its independence if its public interventions repeatedly coincided with concerns first raised by members or sympathisers of a political party.
“Does it mean that the Ghana Bar Association is not independent? Must it always or only toe the line of a political party? Is it that the president of the Ghana Bar Association does not have an independent mind to speak on matters?” he asked.
His comments come amid a growing public disagreement between the GBA and the Chief Justice.
GBA President Efua Ghartey recently criticised remarks by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie comparing the performance of some state institutions under the current administration with that of the previous eight years.
Ms Ghartey said the remarks were troubling and could create the perception that the Judiciary was aligning itself with the Executive.
Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has also urged the Chief Justice to exercise restraint on political matters that could potentially become subjects of litigation.
Mr Dafeamekpor, however, said the GBA’s attention to political controversies was overshadowing what he considers more important developments within the legal profession.
He pointed to recent legal reforms, including legislation relating to legal education and the establishment of district tribunals, which he said deserved greater attention at the GBA’s national conference.
He also accused the association of mounting what he described as excessive criticism of the Chief Justice.
“I’ve listened to her, and I’ve seen that she’s just on an attack spree, attacking the Chief Justice, attacking everyone,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor maintained that lawyers and professional associations have an important role to play in protecting the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
However, he stressed that such interventions should be based on verified facts and should not be driven by partisan political interests.
