Senior Presidential Advisor Joyce Bawah Mogtari has criticized the Ghana Bar Association for publicly challenging Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s management of vacation court proceedings, arguing the association’s stance undermines judicial administration.
The dispute centers on the legal vacation period running from August 1 to September 30, traditionally observed as a respite for judges, lawyers and court staff. On August 10, the GBA wrote to the Chief Justice expressing concern over directives requiring attorneys to appear before vacation courts despite having notified the courts of their unavailability.
Mogtari, who also serves as Senior Presidential Aide to President John Dramani Mahama, responded in a social media post on August 12, describing vacation court sittings as a long-standing practice designed to expedite cases and reduce judicial backlogs.
“From the longest time we have almost always had vacation judges sitting in the course of the legal vacation. To expedite cases and to reduce the case load,” she wrote.
The presidential advisor questioned the GBA’s motives, suggesting the public nature of the complaint bordered on disrespect toward the Chief Justice’s administrative authority. She characterized the association’s position as “needlessly” undermining the Chief Justice’s work.
“Why would the GBA want to needlessly undermine the work of the Chief Justice, and to do so in such a public manner also sounds very disrespectfully disturbing,” Mogtari added.
The GBA maintains the vacation period serves an essential function in preserving the wellbeing of legal professionals after demanding court calendars. The association’s letter emphasized that lawyers who had formally communicated their absence should not be compelled to appear.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between judicial efficiency measures and professional welfare considerations within Ghana’s legal system. Neither the Chief Justice’s office nor the GBA has issued further public comment on the matter. The vacation period continues through September.
