A justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Justice Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, has urged lawyers to keep pace with the law and its amendments.
She said it is especially important for lawyers to be up to date with the legal rules and procedures so they can get the best for their clients in the law courts.
Speaking at a lecture organized by the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Law Faculty, the Supreme Court Justice and academic observed there have been instances where lawyers were found to be lagging behind regarding their knowledge on the amendments of the law. She said it is a worrying observation.
“If a law is changed and after five years counsel are still operating as if the law is the same, then we have a problem”, she observed.
“Lawyers must keep abreast of amendments, especially procedural rules of the day”, she advised.
She explained that amendments to the law are not for the fun of it but that they were necessary for which reason they must be studied carefully for “were the amendments were not necessary Parliament would not have made, for Parliament does not act in vein – that’s a legal fiction, don’t ask me any questions”.
She also urged lawyers to pay attention to details in the discharge of their duties to the public. According to her, a good case may be ruined if a lawyer fails to pay attention to do a meticulous job. In that regard, she said it is important for lawyers to follow the rules and procedures laid down in law religiously, stressing that the procedure is just as good as the law itself.
“Some cases have good prospects but die due to bad lawyering. The ideals of rule of law are not attainable without regard to procedure. One cannot use unjust means to achieve a just means”, she explained.
The public lecture was on the theme: In the beginning was the word: A Ringside view of the Significance of Procedural Rules and Pleadings in the Practice of Law.
Watch the full lecture here:
By 3news.com|Ghana