Issah Olegor
A private legal practitioner, Yaw Aning Boadu, has initiated legal action against the Ghana Law Society (GLS), the Office of the Registrar of Companies, and the General Legal Council (GLC), questioning the legality of the Society’s registration and its authority to operate as a professional body for lawyers in Ghana.
The suit, filed at the High Court in Accra through Hales Solicitors, names the Ghana Law Society as the first defendant, the Registrar of Companies as the second defendant, and the General Legal Council as the third defendant.
The plaintiff, Aning Boadu, is a member in good standing of the Ghana Bar Association, which he identifies as the only recognised professional association of lawyers in the country.
According to the statement of claim, the Ghana Law Society has been publicly presenting itself as a professional association with authority to issue and renew practising licences, pupillage licences, and licences for law chambers.
Aning Boadu contends that these representations are misleading, suggesting that the Society is formally recognised by the General Legal Council to license lawyers—a claim he argues is false.
The plaintiff further asserts that the Society’s registration as a professional body falls short of statutory requirements. Under Ghanaian law, any professional body seeking registration must represent at least 75 per cent of qualified members in the relevant profession.
A check by Aning Boadu reportedly shows that the Ghana Law Society currently comprises barely one per cent of legal practitioners in the country, falling significantly below the legal threshold.
The suit also references a related legal development in September 2025, when the Ghana Law Society and two of its members filed a case against the Ghana Bar Association at the Supreme Court, seeking an interpretation of the 1992 Constitution on the alleged monopoly of the Bar Association. That case is reportedly still pending.
The plaintiff is asking the court for multiple remedies, including:
A declaration that the registration of the Ghana Law Society by the Registrar of Companies is illegal;
An order directing the Registrar of Companies to remove the Society from the Register of Professional Bodies;
A directive for the General Legal Council to withdraw any accreditation, approval, or recognition granted to the Ghana Law Society; and
A perpetual injunction restraining the Society, its executives, and members from holding themselves out as a registered professional body.
Aning Boadu’s legal team argues that if left unchecked, the Ghana Law Society will continue to operate in a manner that undermines the statutory regulatory framework for the legal profession in Ghana, potentially misleading the public and other state institutions.
The lawsuit adds to ongoing discussions about legal professional governance in Ghana, where the Ghana Bar Association has historically maintained a monopoly over professional representation and licensing.
Observers note that the case could set a precedent for how new legal associations seek recognition and the strict application of statutory requirements for professional bodies.
