Make pro-bono services a requirement for renewing lawyers’ licences – SC Justice to GBA
“Lawyers are expensive. To access a good quality lawyer, you need to pay some fees beyond the reach of ordinary people. "
A Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Jones Dotse has appealed to the Ghana Bar Association to make proof of pro-bono services of lawyers a requirement for the renewal of their operating licenses.
According to him, this will go a long way to boost the work of the Legal Aid Commission because not many lawyers will be paid out of the fund yet the commission’s work will be facilitated expeditiously.
“Lawyers are expensive. To access a good quality lawyer, you need to pay some fees beyond the reach of ordinary people. Therefore the setting up of this fund must be embraced by all but I will go further and urge the Ghana Bar Association to endeavor to inculcate into their members the need to do at least one or two pro bono services a year to enable them to renew their operating licenses as happens in America.”
Speaking as a representative of the Chief Justice at the launch of the Law Reform Commission Fund and the Legal Aid Fund at the High Court Complex Auditorium in Accra today, he added that in America, lawyers need to satisfy the Bar Association that they have done two or three pro bono cases to renew their licenses.
Also present at the launch was the president of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, ministers, deputy ministers, Justices of the Superior Courts of Ghana, etc.
Establishment of the Legal Aid Fund
31· There is established by this Act the Legal Aid Fund.
Object of the Fund
32. The Object of the Fund is to ensure financial capacity of the Commission to efficiently and effectively carry out its mandate under this Act.
Sources of money for the Fund
33. The sources of money for the Fund are
(a) moneys approved by Parliament;
(b) interest accruing from the investment of the fund;
(c) moneys paid or recovered by the Commission in the performance of the functions of the Commission; and
(d) donations and gifts.
The Law Reform Fund
Establishment of the Law Reform Fund
10. There is established under this Act the Law Reform Fund.
Objects of the Fund
11.The objects of the Fund are
(a) to undertake projects for the development and reform of laws,
(2') to develop human resource in law reform, and
(c) for any other purpose that may be determined by the Board.
Sources of money for the Fund
12. The sources of money for the Fund are
(a) moneys approved by Parliament,
(1') moneys accruing to the Commission in the performance of its functions,
(c) donations, grants and gifts, and
(d) any other moneys that are approved by the Minister responsible for Finance.
