Former Attorney-General Godfred Dame has taken a sharp swipe at legal practitioner Thaddeus Sory, insisting that recent attacks on his conduct are not only politically motivated but also a threat to Ghana’s judicial independence.
Dame dismissed Sory’s criticism as part of a broader effort by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to malign his reputation.
“In all humility, I say, as a testament to the strength of Ghana’s judicial system, that the record of the consistent success I enjoyed in the courts in innumerable high-profile cases I conducted between 2003 and 2007 (as a relatively junior lawyer) and between 2009 and 2017 (when I was not the Attorney-General but a lawyer who was a member of the opposition), is there for all to verify.
“It is this independence of Ghana’s judiciary that I see is threatened by recent happenings in Ghana, and which I seek to protect. You and the NDC’s desperation to churn out a false narrative now will not change the situation,” Dame wrote.
He clarified that while he had never denied Sory’s past legal work for New Patriotic Party (NPP) clients, the current dynamics surrounding the alleged attempt to remove the Chief Justice raised fundamental ethical concerns.
“I have never said that you have not represented NPP clients. I am aware of your association with NPP clients particularly, when you were a junior to Mr. Ambrose Dery in Dery & Co.
“The irrefutable point I make now is that Mr. Tsikata was President Mahama’s lawyer in the last election petition in 2020. You are the current Speaker of Parliament’s lawyer and double as lawyer for a person who is aggrieved by judgments delivered by the Chief Justice against him in his attempt to recover some gargantuan money from Ecobank.
“If you do not find it ‘incongruous’ that the lawyers of the heads of two arms of government have teamed up to remove the lady Chief Justice of the Republic from office, I cannot fault you.”
Responding to Sory’s assertion that he has the right to represent any client who retains him, Dame retorted: “Do I not owe the same duty?”
Declaring that this would be his final word on the matter, Dame added a pointed remark about the political weight of his actions.
“This, I hope, will be my only and ever response to you. I will continue to ignore all your provocative comments. However, knowing your obsession with me, I am sure it will draw more abuse from you. As they say, ‘when Godfred Dame coughs, the whole NDC catches a cold.’”
