Former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Boafo Esq., has called for disciplinary action against Members of Parliament and other legal practitioners who engage in acts of misconduct and disorderly behaviour, stressing that unethical actions must attract sanctions regardless of setting or political status.
Speaking candidly about the recent conduct of some lawyer-parliamentarians, Mr. Boafo expressed disappointment over the increasingly theatrical actions of legal professionals in public, particularly in politically charged moments involving the police and law enforcement.
“You know theatrics is not part of our profession,” he stated, pointing to recent events in which lawyer-MPs sat on the floor during attempts to secure bail. “No lawyer goes to sit on the floor, asking for bail,” he said.
He noted that such conduct compromises the integrity of the legal profession and demands a firm response from the General Legal Council and relevant regulatory bodies. For Mr. Boafo, the breach is not only in what was done but who did it. He drew a line between non-lawyers and those trained in the ethics and discipline of the legal field.
“The non-lawyers amongst them I can forgive, but the Minority Leader and the others who are lawyers, I have a problem with”
Yaw Boafo Esq., Former President of the Ghana Bar Association
The former GBA president challenged the notion that lawyers should only be disciplined for courtroom infractions. He argued that lawyers should be held to ethical standards in every arena they operate, including in politics and public office.
“I just want a situation where lawyers must behave the way we are asked to behave as lawyers. We must be as ethical as possible everywhere we find ourselves”
Yaw Boafo Esq., Former President of the Ghana Bar Association
He maintained that once an individual bears the title of lawyer, whether in parliament, on the campaign trail, or in a public institution, the legal community and regulatory bodies must demand accountability, especially for the sake of public scrutiny.
According to Mr. Boafo, the spectacle of MPs engaging in physical altercations and disrupting proceedings is a blight on the legal profession.
“The idea of three parliamentarians exchanging punches and throwing tables around is not something that any lawyer should get away with – so there should be some form of punishment for that”
Yaw Boafo Esq., Former President of the Ghana Bar Association
Equal Standards
Drawing a striking analogy to courtroom decorum, he imagined the consequences if similar chaos erupted during court proceedings.
“If two lawyers started punching themselves in the courtroom, and the third one pulled maybe the clerk’s table all over the place. Clearly, that lawyer would find himself on the GLC that same day”
Yaw Boafo Esq., Former President of the Ghana Bar Association
For him, the inconsistency in how legal discipline is applied across contexts must be addressed. He maintained that the idea that lawyers should only suffer punishment when practicing “traditional law” is unfair and biased.
Mr. Boafo underscored that lawyers in public service often tout their professional credentials with pride, yet are not always held to the same standards as their colleagues in private practice.
The central concern for Mr. Boafo is not political affiliation or public influence, but professional consistency. He insisted that legal training must come with lifelong accountability, regardless of context or occupation.
“Whether they are politicians, whether they are in public office, even whether they are chiefs, no matter what – there should be some form of disciplinary measure”
Yaw Boafo Esq., Former President of the Ghana Bar Association
His comments come at a time when public scrutiny of political conduct is rising, and questions are being raised about the boundaries between professional ethics and political theatre.
For Mr. Boafo, the expectation must be clear and unwavering: “Every lawyer must maintain high standards.”
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