Seek highest standards in conduct – Chief Justice tells new lawyers
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has urged lawyers to crave for the highest conceivable standards in conduct and adhere to ethical principles.
She said lawyers have the responsibility to understand every tenet of the complex phenomenon called justice.
The Chief Justice was speaking at the 60th enrolment ceremony where 1,097 persons were called to the bar, with 575 of them being females.
In attendance were President Akufo-Addo, Supreme Court judges, lecturers, members of the Diplomatic Corps.
She told the new lawyers, “You have the responsibility to protect rights and compel the observance of obligations. A responsibility to contribute to the progress of a society grounded on the rule of law.”
She said the rule of law, which cannot be maintained without lawyers, is the bedrock of any just and equitable society, adding that the rule of law provides a level playing field for every citizen.
Justice Torkornoo said justice is not only merely a concept, but a living reality carefully designed and well thought out by the society itself which must be administered by persons who understand every nuance and inflection of the demands of justice.
She said the legal profession therefore ought to be made up of persons who have not just studied the letter of the law but have imbibed the spirit behind legal order and have shown the presence of a moral compass able to not only direct themselves but able to direct the nation in its quest to ensure coherence, harmony, progress, and peace.
She said the profession was expected to be the bulwark against social chaos, adding that the legal profession ought to provide a guarantee that every citizen would be protected in whatever lawful activity that they embarked on.
The Chief Justice said the fundamental freedoms and rights guaranteed and presented in the national Constitution are not self-executed, they required diligent professionals to properly interpret them and to safeguard them.
“As lawyers, you will need to be part of the conduit through which justice is sought and delivered in this complex environment. Remember that as lawyers, the greatest asset is their reputation.
“A tarnished reputation cannot only harm your individual career but also erode trust in the legal profession and the ability to move society on the trajectory of legalities.”
Source: Ghana News
