Judges sack lawyers with expired license

Judges in Ghana have started throwing out lawyers who have not renewed their solicitors license for 2018 from their courts.

This is to enforce the orders by the General Legal Council (GLC).

One of the Lawyers who was affected by the decision of the GLC is Charles Kwaku Bentum.

He told Accra-based Starr FM that after he was thrown out on Wednesday, he is taking all necessary steps to initiate his application immediately so he can continue to represent his clients in court.

He also added that it was not advisable for his colleagues to go through the same predicament as him and therefore, urged them to file their applications at the beginning of the legal year which is usually in October of each year.

Lawyers Practicing in the Republic of Ghana are required by law to renew their licenses annually. Section 8(1) and (2) of the Legal Profession Act, (Act 32) states as follows;

(1) A person, other than the Attorney-General, or an officer of Attorney-General’s department, shall not practise as a solicitor unless that person has in respect of that practice a valid annual solicitor’s licence issued by the Council duly stamped and in the form set out in the Second Schedule.

(2) A person shall not be issued with a solicitor’s licence unless that person has been previously enrolled as a lawyer under section 3.