The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has raised concerns about directives from some judges requiring lawyers to appear in court during the ongoing legal vacation.
In a letter to Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie on Monday, August 10, 2026, the GBA said it had received complaints from three law firms about notices asking them to attend court for part-heard criminal cases during the vacation.
The firms are Messrs Zoe, Akyea & Co, Dame & Partners, and Sam Okudzeto & Associates.
The GBA said such directives go against the rules and long-standing practice surrounding the legal vacation, which runs from August 1 to September 30.
The association referred to Order 79, Rule 4 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47), which provides for the annual legal vacation.
According to the GBA, Vacation Courts are normally set up to deal with urgent and interlocutory matters during this period. They are not meant to conduct trials.
The association stressed that lawyers are not required to appear before a Vacation Court if they are unavailable.
It said that when a lawyer informs the court that they cannot attend during the vacation, the case should be adjourned to a date suggested by the lawyer.
“Counsel are not under any compulsion whatsoever to appear before a Vacation Court,” the association said.
The GBA also cautioned judges against asking people to represent themselves simply because their lawyers are unavailable during the vacation.
It said a lawyer’s absence during the period should not be treated as deliberate. Instead, the only step that should be taken is to adjourn the case.
The association further warned that continuing with a case when a lawyer is unavailable, whether or not a warrant is issued, could “smack of bias or selective justice.”
The GBA explained that many lawyers had already made plans for other professional engagements during the vacation, while some law firms had closed for the entire period.
The association said lawyers need the opportunity to rest after a busy legal year and urged the Judiciary to respect the rules and long-standing practices surrounding the legal vacation.
