Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has rejected the position that lawyers can decline to appear in court simply because proceedings have been scheduled during Ghana's legal vacation.

Speaking in Sunyani on Monday, August 10, 2026, the Chief Justice explained that judges who are authorised to sit during the legal vacation have the power to hear cases listed before them. His comments come amid a disagreement between the Judiciary and the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) over court proceedings during the vacation period.

Ghana's legal vacation runs from August 1 to September 30. The GBA recently raised concerns about notices requiring lawyers to appear before judges handling some part-heard criminal cases during the period.

The Bar argued that lawyers who had already indicated that they were unavailable during the vacation should not be compelled to attend court. It also expressed concerns about the potential impact on accused persons who depend on legal representation.

Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, however, maintained that the mere fact that it is legal vacation does not prevent a judge from sitting if that judge has been authorised to do so.

He also stressed that the decision to adjourn a case belongs to the judge hearing it. According to him, adjournments are judicial decisions and cannot simply be determined by lawyers or the Chief Justice.

The disagreement has generated discussion within Ghana's legal community about the purpose of legal vacation and the circumstances under which substantive cases can continue during the period.

The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has also backed the Chief Justice's position. He said Vacation Judges can conduct substantive proceedings and that lawyers cannot unilaterally decide not to appear because a case has been scheduled during the vacation.

The GBA, meanwhile, maintains that established practices surrounding legal vacation should be respected, particularly where lawyers have formally indicated that they are unavailable.

The disagreement has therefore placed the Judiciary and the legal profession on opposing sides of an important question concerning court administration and access to justice.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie's comments have reinforced the Judiciary's position that legal vacation does not automatically prevent authorised judges from hearing cases. With the GBA maintaining concerns about lawyers being compelled to attend, the disagreement is likely to continue as Ghana's legal vacation proceeds.