Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has urged Ministers and Members of Parliament who were recently called to the Bar to uphold professional ethics and integrity in their work.
He warned that political loyalty should not influence their responsibilities as lawyers, stressing the importance of putting the rules of the legal profession first.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Kpebu advised the newly qualified lawyer-politicians to keep their political affiliations separate from their professional duties. He said they must be careful not to allow their loyalty to their political parties to affect their conduct as legal practitioners.
He further warned that lawyers who fail to meet the profession’s standards could face disciplinary action from the General Legal Council, including the possible withdrawal of their licences to practise law.
“If the Minister doesn’t place the ethics of the profession high above party loyalty and were to get involved or embroiled in the law and there’s a conviction, sometimes even short of a conviction, depending on what the minister does, he can be reported to the General Legal Council and if the council finds that that conduct is below par, the minister lawyer would be sanctioned, including the licence being withdrawn,” he said.
Mr Kpebu referred to the complaint against former Attorney-General Godfred Dame over his alleged conduct in the Jakpa case, saying it showed the kind of professional scrutiny lawyers could face.
He also pointed out that disciplinary proceedings could have serious effects on a person’s reputation and well-being, even before a case is concluded.
“But even the trial in itself that now he’s before them, you see that it’s a lot. It brings a lot of stress, a lot of damage to reputation, etc. So they should remember Godfred Dame case,” he said.
His comments come after the 63rd Call to the Bar ceremony, which took place at the ICGC Christ Temple in Accra on Friday, October 9, 2026. A total of 1,568 new lawyers were admitted to the Ghanaian legal profession during the ceremony.
Those called to the Bar included Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Channel One TV and Citi FM journalist Umaru Sanda Amadu, and broadcaster Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku.
Addressing the newly qualified lawyers at the ceremony, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie urged them, especially those in public-facing positions, to treat the law as a public trust and maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
