Government is set to introduce a Legal Practitioners’ Standards Board Bill to reform the regulation and discipline of lawyers in the country.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Edem Srem-Sai, says the Legal Practitioners’ Standards Board Bill will create an independent body to set professional standards to ensure lawyers remain competent.
According to him, the Bill will also set up a separate disciplinary committee that will be independent from the Board that issues licences.
He made the announcement when he addressed the 2026 Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association at Ada on Sunday, September 13, 2028.
The conference brought together lawyers and other stakeholders to discuss the theme: “150 Years of Ghana’s Legal Evolution: Transforming the Profession and Driving its Future with Industry.”
Dr Srem-Sai said the current system for disciplining lawyers is fraught with long delays, which frustrates both complainants and the lawyers involved.
He noted the situation has worsened by the fact that the same body investigates and adjudicates complaints, which he described as unfair. For him, the new committee will cure that defect because it will be composed of lay persons, representatives of other professions and members of the Bar, and will operate with security of tenure and strict timelines.
He said under the new arrangement, every lawyer complained about would have the right to know the case against him, the right to be heard, and the right to appeal, with proportionate sanctions.
He rejected the claim that the Bill is set for Government to control lawyers. “This reform is not an attempt by the government to bring the disciplinary proceedings of lawyers under political control. It is quite the opposite,” he stressed.
He further noted that the goal is to take the process out of government control and give the Bar more ownership.
Dr. Srem-Sai further indicated that the bill will go through broad consultations with the GBA, the General Legal Council, the Judicial Council and other stakeholders before it gets to Parliament.
The Deputy Minister also announced plans to introduce a national professional indemnity insurance scheme, strengthen the GBA welfare fund and introduce a stipend framework to support pupils and young lawyers so they are trained and not exploited.
