By: Hassan Osman Kargbo
The General Legal Council has in a press release dated 24 May 2024, condemned the gross misconduct of lawyers in the just concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sierra Leone Bar Association on the 17 and 18 May 2024 in Kenema.
According to the release, the General Legal Council (hereinafter referred to as GLC/Council) as the statutory body with mandate to regulate the conduct of lawyers pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act, 2000 and its Codes of Conduct, 2010 was deeply concerned over the gross misconduct of lawyers as displayed at the just concluded AGM of the Sierra Leone Bar Association on the aforementioned dates in Kenema.
Adding that an emergency meeting was convened by Council on Thursday 24 May 2024 from which Madam Tuma Adama Jabbi respectfully had recused herself. Council members during the said meeting expressed their massive disappointment at the conduct of some lawyers and roundly condemned the violent conduct displayed by them during the conduct of the Bar elections on the 18 May.
The release furthered that, the Council regrets to have seen first-hand at those elections in Kenema the mayhem that ensued, and the ugly optics that went viral on social media of legal practitioners storming the stage and violently throwing tables, chairs, and voting materials everywhere to the disdain and outrage of other legal practitioners and members of the general public.
It added that the General Legal Council therefore strongly and wholly condemns that violent and dishonourable conduct of legal practitioners at that AGM and notes that, such conduct does not represent the noble profession of lawyers. Council recalls that the legal profession is a noble profession with high standards, and therefore demands candour and reverence from lawyers.
On the issue of jurisdiction over the Bar Executive in respect to the conduct of the elections,
Council is of the view that, the conduct of the elections is outside its remit as that is the sole
responsibility of the courts, but notes that the indiscipline, unprofessional, dishonourable and
unworthy conduct of legal practitioners at that AGM are a matter solely for Council to deal with.
Council is also regrettably disappointed that as a result of the mayhem that swamped the occasion, it was not given the opportunity to address lawyers on the code and ethics of the profession during the AGM. Council believes that an address of this nature would have significantly helped to maintain a peaceful and an orderly atmosphere as all lawyers present would have been reminded of the need to conduct themselves in a manner befitting of our honourable profession.
The release admitted that, As a means of fighting impunity and violent conduct by lawyers, as this is not the first occurrence of such misconduct, Council has constituted an investigation committee of five (5) members with mandate to probe into the violent conduct of some legal practitioners at the said AGM, and proffer to Council within two (2) weeks appropriate disciplinary measures to be taken against those found to be sufficiently responsible for that breakdown of law and order pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act and its Code of Conduct. Members of this Committee are as follows:
Justice Tonia Barnette (JA) – Chair
Ibrahim Sorie Yillah Esq – Member
Chukwu Emeka Taylor Esq – Member
Musa Mewa Esq – Member
Kadija Zainab Bangura (Ms.) – Member & Secretary
Council takes this opportunity to remind all legal practitioners that good conduct does not go on vacation and should be exercised at all times even on social media platforms. Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners (Code of Conduct) Rules, 2010 provides as follows: “Every legal practitioner, whether in practice or not, shall uphold at all times the standards, dignity and high standing of the legal profession including those set out in these Rules.”
