You can’t be a lawyer and judge at the same time – Supreme Court nominee

A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Sophia Essah has stated that one cannot simultaneously be a lawyer and a judge based on the Constitution of Ghana.

According to her, the roles of a judge and a lawyer are distinct, and once a person enters one of these professions, they cannot practice the other.

“You cannot be in this country as a lawyer and at the same time, a judge. Because the work of a lawyer is different from a judge. I cannot go and be an advocate, have clients, or represent anyone in court. That is the work of a lawyer.

“And so once I became a judge, I could no longer be a lawyer even though I have legal professional knowledge and background,” she said during her vetting on Tuesday, August 13.

Her remarks were in response to a question posed by National Democratic Congress MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, who pointed out that, according to the Constitution, the qualification to be a Supreme Court judge is based on having at least 15 years of standing as a lawyer.

Mr Ayariga noted that the Constitution states that a person must have high moral character, proven integrity, and at least 15 years of standing as a lawyer to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

Thus, he questioned if Justice Essah had passed the 15-year stipulated time frame.

In response, Justice Essah clarified that she interprets the constitutional provision differently from Mr Ayariga and affirmed that she is eligible under this provision to be appointed to the Supreme Court.