Ghana Bar makes history, elects first female as president and vice

Two of Ghana’s top attorneys have been chosen to serve as the next president and vice president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

They are Victoria Barth, the vice president, and Efua Ghartey, the president. Yaw Acheampong Boafo, who has led the GBA since September 2021, will be succeeded by Afua Ghartey.

In order to defeat her opponent, Agbesi Dzakpasu, who received 1,060 votes, or 44.95% of the total valid votes cast, Efua Ghartey received 1,279 votes, or 54.24% of the total votes cast. Victoria Barth received 1,624 votes, or 68.87% of the total votes cast, while Ebenezer Kwatoo, her opponent, received 495 votes, or 20.99% of the total votes cast.

GBA’s historic decision to elect both Mrs. Ghartey and Mrs. Barth to these prominent roles ends the association’s long-standing male-dominated leadership structure.

A seasoned lawyer with more than 30 years of Bar experience and a long history of GBA service, Efua Ghartey is a three-time candidate for national president.

Her two prior bids resulted in close defeats, falling short by only 67 and 65 votes, respectively, against Yaw Boafo, the current national president, and Tony Forson, the GBA’s immediate past president. Mrs. Ghartey has been adamant in leading the GBA for the past six years despite these difficulties.

Many think that she is the front-runner in this race because of her tenacity and support for women’s rights. Should Mrs. Ghartey win, the Bar would change to become more progressive.

Victoria Barth is an exceptionally competent legal practitioner who gained notoriety at the Ghana School of Law for her outstanding academic record, which included mentoring and instructing several aspiring attorneys.

Mrs. Barth’s campaign received a lot of support, particularly from the Bar’s younger members. She was a crucial part of the legal team that supported President Nana Akufo-Addo during the 2021 election appeal, further solidifying her legal ability and reputation.

At its 2024 annual general meeting, which took place on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at the Great Hall of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Ghana Bar society a professional society of Ghanaian lawyers elected its next president.

Yaw Acheampong Boafo, the outgoing president of the GBA, will preside over his final annual general conference in 2024, with the subject “Peaceful, Fair and Transparent Election: The Key to Sustainable Democracy.” Acheampong Boafo was chosen as the GBA’s national president for a three-year term at the 2021 Bar Conference, after his tenure as national secretary.

After Anthony Forson Jr. departed office without running for reelection, he assumed leadership of the Bar Association. Forson had served a full three-year term.

In the election, which took place at the Fountain Gate Chapel in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region, during the 2021 annual Bar Conference, Acheampong Boafo defeated Efua Ghartey by 605 votes (52.83%) to 540 votes (47.16%).

After a span of three years, Efua Ghartey launched a re-run for the GBA presidency. This time around, nine years her junior, Agbesi Kwadzo Dzakpasu, was her major opponent. In 1991, Mrs. Ghartey was called to the bar, and in 2000, Dzakpasu was called.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com