Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie addressed a gathering of 1,568 freshly admitted attorneys, urging them to confirm details before voicing opinions and highlighting the risks posed by false or rushed commentary. The chief justice, who also chairs the General Legal Council, delivered his remarks at the 63rd Call to the Bar ceremony held in Teshie, Accra.
He stressed that lawyers should practice self-control, adhere to ethical standards and safeguard their credibility in a time when unchecked data can travel swiftly across online channels. “Do not allow the speed of information to become your judgement,” Baffoe-Bonnie said. “The most important currency of a lawyer is not money, not even knowledge. It is integrity.”
The chief justice noted that content shared on WhatsApp can traverse borders before its truthfulness is verified. “A video is uploaded, a headline is circulated, a claim is repeated, and suddenly thousands of people are forming opinions about facts they have neither verified nor witnessed. As lawyers, you must be different,” he warned.
He called on the new cohort to take a moment, authenticate sources, read thoroughly and compare facts prior to making public statements. Baffoe-Bonnie emphasized the need to identify situations where professional restraint is essential and to refrain from commenting until the evidence is established.
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While the event celebrated scholarly achievement, the chief justice reminded attendees that integrity requires years of cultivation but can be shattered in an instant. He affirmed that attorneys are not exempt from the law and urged them to reject bribes and avoid allowing political ties to compromise their professional duties.
He also cautioned against laxity in legal practice, pointing out that youth or lack of experience does not justify insufficient preparation. “Prepare your cases properly, know your facts and understand them; there is no substitute for preparation,” he declared. “If you hold these principles – integrity, diligence, respect, honesty and discipline- you will not only succeed in law, but you will also dignify it.”
The ceremony was attended by several media figures and members of parliament, among them Mr Sam George and Mr Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah. Akosua Achiaa Sarpong received the John Mensah Sarbah Award for the top overall performance in the Professional Law Examination and was also named the leading student in Civil Procedure.
