Kumasi: Lawyers have been reminded of the need to strictly uphold the ethics of the legal profession to help prevent them from disciplinary actions and sanctions. They must conduct businesses in line with professional ethics, which include compassion, honesty, love, selflessness, and justice.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Chris Adomako Kwakye, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), emphasized the importance of ethical conduct during the induction ceremony for the 2024/2025 academic year students at the Ghana School of Law, Kumasi Campus. Dr. Kwakye highlighted that when one decides to become a lawyer, they should deeply contemplate the values and career priorities that align with their professional life. He noted that disciplinary bodies worldwide exist to address cases of unethical behavior, with sanctions being imposed when necessary.
Dr. Kwakye stressed that a lawyer's vision must be linked to professional excellence and virtues such as prudence and practical wisdom. He warned that unethical behavior could have serious repercussions for lawyers, clients, and the legal profession as a whole. Lawyers found guilty of unethical conduct could face disciplinary actions by the licensing authority, ranging from reprimand to suspension or disbarment. For clients, unethical practices result in damaged trust not only in the offending lawyer but in the legal profession at large, causing anxiety and reluctance to engage legal services.
Barima Yaw Kodie Oppong, Director of the Ghana School of Law, underscored the expectation of higher standards from lawyers and advised students to aspire to a greater commitment to the law, ethics, and school policies. He encouraged students to take internships seriously, as they provide valuable practical experience that complements classroom learning.
A total of 222 students were inducted to pursue the two-year professional law program. The inductees were sworn in by His Lordship, Justice William Osei Kufuor, a Justice of the High Court in Kumasi.
