The General Legal Council (GLC) has filed a motion at the Supreme Court seeking review of a decision by a single Supreme Court Judge, Justice Yaw Appau, that granted leave to embattled Human Rights lawyer, Francis Sosu to appeal against the sanctions handed to him by the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council.

Lawyer for Francis Sosu, Johnson Normesinu, today told the Supreme Court presided over by the same single Judge, Justice Yaw Appau, that his earlier ruling, from information available to him from the Registry of the court is being subjected to review.

The information came as a surprise to the Supreme Court Judge, however, since it was not the substantive case before him, he asked that proceedings for the day continued.

Today in Court

In court today, lawyer for Francis Sosu, sought permission to file an additional ground of Appeal in their statement of case. Justice Appau granted their request and has given them seven (7) days to file same. The case was adjourned sinidie.

Background

The Supreme Court single Judge Justice Yaw Appau granted leave to embattled Human Rights lawyer Francis Sosu to file an appeal against the punishment handed to him by the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council on the 14th of February this year.

The judgment by the Apex court quashes an earlier judgment of the Appeal court that refused Sosu an application for stay of execution of the punishment, which prevents him from practicing law in Ghana.

The single judge in his ruling said it will be a great abuse of the fundamental Human Rights of the applicant if he is not given the opportunity to be heard at a higher forum other than the Disciplinary Committee over his three-year suspension.

The court thus proceeded to order the applicant to file his processes within the next seven (7) days for the case to be heard by the Supreme Court.

The General Legal Council (GLC) in June 2017, barred the prominent Human Rights lawyer from practising as a lawyer for one year after he was found guilty of professional misconduct.

It followed a complaint filed at the Council by one of his clients, Francis Agyare, who accused Mr. Sosu and his law firm F-X Law & Associates of attempting to swindle him.

The Council also reached a decision to ban the lawyer for another three years for advertising himself on social media in respect of cases involving Patrick Reynolds who was paralyzed by a fallen billboard at flower pot and his human rights action against the Attorney General, Chief of Defence Staff and another.