An Accra human rights high court on Wednesday quashed the three-year suspension of human rights lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu, by the General Legal Counsel (GLC).
The court, presided by Mrs Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, said the GLC exceeded its jurisdiction, adding that the offence and punishment for overcharging a client was not defined.
The court also held that there was no complainant for the charge of advertising and touting against the lawyer.
The GLC on June 1, 2017, suspended Mr Sosu for allegedly overcharging a client, and also violating the profession’s code of conduct that prevents lawyers from advertising their services.
The GLC handed a three-year suspension for each of the offences, which was to run concurrently, and Mr Sosu was ordered to avail himself to a senior lawyer for a year mentorship.
One of the reasons for Mr Sosu’s suspension, according to the GLC, was that he charged a client, known as Francis Agyare, GH¢50,000 as legal fee for a compensation claim of GH¢200,000.
The GLC, in its notice of suspension, stated that the legal fee charged by Mr Sosu was “excessive and an overestimation of the services rendered him when he represented to him that he was offering pro-bono legal service’’.
The GLC said Mr Sosu had, on two different occasions, advertised his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers on Facebook, with “the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting, which was in violation of Rule 2(4) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct).
Not happy with the decision of the GLC, Mr Sosu filed a certiorari application at the Human Rights Court for his suspension to be quashed.
BY MALIKS SULLEMANA
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