The Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba, has criticised lawyers in the country, highlighting what he perceives to be a deviation from the principles set forth by Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
According to Professor Atuguba, Dr. Nkrumah advocated for Ghanaian lawyers to be multidisciplinary and to prioritise serving the needs of society. However, he believes that lawyers in Ghana have strayed from this principle.
In an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, April 18, Professor Atuguba expressed his concern that Ghanaian lawyers are more focused on serving the interests of specific groups rather than fulfilling the broader societal role as envisioned by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
He emphasised that these groupings are not aligned with the vision Dr. Nkrumah had for Ghanaian lawyers, which was centred around serving the greater good of the nation.
“Dr Kwame Nkrumah wanted lawyers to use their skills to aid in the construction of the developmental state. Secondly, Dr Kwame Nkrumah had a vision of law that was multidisciplinary. So in that speech he delivered on January 4, 1962, he said that the law does not exist in a vacuum but exists in a social environment and so he wanted lawyers who were talented and multidisciplinary to aid the development and problem-solving backed my critical thinking but the Ghanaian lawyers have strayed away from these principles,” he said.
Professor Atuguba’s criticism follows a perceived disconnect between the current practices of lawyers in Ghana and the foundational principles upon which Dr. Nkrumah sought to establish the legal profession in the country.
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