Francis-Xavier Sosu
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an application filed by lawyers of suspended Human rights lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu seeking to overturn his three-year suspension by the General Legal Council (GLC).
According to the court, it was not clothed with the jurisdiction to entertain the application.
According to the judge, Justice Henry Anthony Kwofie, the jurisdiction of the court had been improperly invoked by the applicant.
He said the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case had been provided by statute.
Justice Kwofie explained that the application for appeal ought to have been filed at the registry of the GLC as prescribed by law.
The Appeal Court of Judge noted that although he sympathizes with Sosu, the applicant had no right to be heard by the court, adding that “justice to be dispensed is one within the law but not out of sympathy.”
As a result, Justice Kwofie said that the court was unable to grant the two applications filed by the applicant.
Sosu hauled GLC before the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn a three-year suspension imposed on him.
The lawyer, in a notice of appeal filed at the court date June 7, 2017, stated that GLC erred in convicting him because there is no law specifically making overestimation of legal fees a “grave misconduct in a professional respect.”
The Human Rights Lawyer argued that the sentences imposed on him were harsh and excessive.
The lawyer was found guilty of an alleged professional misconduct by GLC.
A statement issued by the GLC said, “The disciplinary committee of the General legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he, while acting as Council for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.”
It further stated: “He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he, while acting as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX Company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement.
In another case, Mr Sosu was said to have charged one Francis Agyare GH¢20,000 extra in legal fees.
The statement noted that “Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts and was sentenced to a period of three years’ suspension commencing June 2, 2017 and ending 1st day of June, 2020.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson