A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Sophia Essah has revealed that one cannot simultaneously be a lawyer and a judge based on the Constitution of Ghana .
She explained that the roles of a judge and a lawyer are two different things, 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, 2024.
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 indicated 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.
