CRC Proposes Removal of Ghana Bar Association from Constitutional Status
By: Adwoa Nyarko Asiamah |12 January 2026
The place of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in the 1992 Constitution may soon change, following new recommendations by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC).
Public discussion over the GBA’s constitutional recognition intensified after the association openly criticised the suspension of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and demanded her reinstatement. That intervention sparked backlash from sections of the public and political figures who argued that the GBA had exceeded its mandate.
Among the strongest critics was the Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, who called for the association’s removal from the Constitution. The legislator subsequently filed a case at the Supreme Court, seeking a declaration that references to the “Ghana Bar Association” in the Constitution should be interpreted broadly to include all recognised law-related associations in the country, rather than a single body.
In a development that appears to support this position, the CRC has recommended constitutional amendments that would eliminate explicit references to certain private organisations, including the GBA.
The recommendations are contained in a report recently submitted to President John Dramani Mahama, in which the committee proposed replacing the names of specific private associations with more inclusive and neutral language.
According to the report, the Constitution should be amended to remove direct mentions of private bodies in several articles — including Articles 153, 157, 166, 201, 204, 206, 209, 259 and 261 — and instead provide for representatives to be nominated through procedures established by an Act of Parliament.
The CRC further advised that such legislation should clearly outline the nomination process, eligibility criteria, and safeguards to ensure transparency, inclusiveness, and institutional continuity among professional bodies, civil society organisations, and voluntary associations.
If these proposals are adopted, the Ghana Bar Association would lose its unique constitutional recognition and much of the institutional influence it currently holds as the principal umbrella body for lawyers in Ghana.
