Francis-Xavier Sosu
An Accra High Court (Human Rights Division) on Wednesday quashed the three-year ban imposed on human rights lawyer Francis-Xavier Sosu by the General Legal Council (GLC).
The court, presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei-Addo, also set aside the one-year mentorship handed to the private legal practitioner.
The lawyer was barred from practising law in the country by the GLC in 2017 after he was found guilty of a number of offences.
His suspension followed a complaint by Francis Agyare, who claimed that Francis-Xavier Sosu and his law firm attempted to charge him exorbitantly.
Mr. Sosu was also indicted for advertising himself on social media in connection with a case involving Patrick Reynold, who was paralysed by a fallen billboard at Flower Pot in Accra contrary to the rules on the conduct of lawyers.
He was found guilty by the GLC and was handed the three-year ban.
The lawyer prayed the Appeal Court to overturn the suspension, but the court presided over by Justice Henry Anthony Kwofie, dismissed the application, saying the jurisdiction of the court had been improperly invoked by the applicant.
He went to the Supreme Court seeking special relief to file an appeal against a three-year suspension by the GLC, which was granted by Justice Yaw Appau.
The lawyer later filed an application for judicial review at the High Court, challenging the decision of GLC.
The court, presided over by Justice Agyei-Addo, set aside the suspension after evaluating the issues.
She held that the charges of touting and personal advertisement, which were described by the GLC as grave misconduct, were not in accordance with the law.
By Gibril Abdul Razak