Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has challenged Ghanaian lawyers to move beyond interpreting existing laws and take a more active role in shaping the country’s legal framework.
He said lawyers must become more involved in the entire legislative process, from policy formulation and drafting of Bills to parliamentary consideration and implementation.
Dr Ayine made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when he addressed the maiden Annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Law Society (GLS) in Accra.
The conference was held under the theme, “Legal Reforms: The Place of the Ghanaian Lawyer.”
According to the Attorney-General, effective lawmaking requires the expertise of lawyers at the point where government policies are translated into legislation.
He particularly drew attention to the Legislative Drafting Division of the Attorney-General’s Office, which he said undertakes the task of preparing legislation for ministries, departments and state agencies.
Dr Ayine expressed concern about the need to attract more lawyers into legislative drafting, describing it as a specialised area requiring professionals who can remain engaged beyond the preparation of Bills.
He called on the Ghana Law Society to take a keen interest in strengthening the country’s legislative drafting capacity.
The Attorney-General also said lawyers would have an important role to play in the ongoing discussions on constitutional reform, particularly as proposals move towards the drafting and consideration of constitutional amendment Bills.
He urged the profession to scrutinise such reforms and provide substantive input rather than waiting until laws had been passed before commenting on them.
Dr Ayine further identified state contracts and public financial management as areas requiring specialised legal expertise.
He said lawyers working in those areas must be able to identify weaknesses in government contracts and financial commitments while ensuring that legitimate public transactions were not unnecessarily delayed.
The Attorney-General also disclosed that his office is preparing the Legal Practitioners Standards Board Bill for consideration by Cabinet before its eventual submission to Parliament.
The proposed legislation is intended to strengthen professional standards and the disciplinary framework for lawyers, with an independent disciplinary mechanism forming part of the proposed reforms.
Dr Ayine also stressed the need for lawyers to maintain professional independence and remain willing to scrutinise government and public institutions.
He said the legal profession’s contribution to national development should not be limited to courtroom practice but should extend to public policy, legislation, constitutional governance and institutional reform.
The maiden Annual Bar Conference brought together lawyers and other stakeholders to deliberate on legal reforms and the changing role of the legal profession in Ghana.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
