Maiden conference for lawyers in public sector starts tomorrow

The maiden national conference for lawyers in the public sector will kick off tomorrow.

Under the auspices of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the three-day conference is expected to highlight the immense role played by lawyers in the public sector to promote justice and protect the interest of the public and that of the state.

Lawyers from state institutions will attend the conference, which is on the theme: “Coordinating Legally for an Efficient and Cohesive Public Service".

Notable personalities expected to attend the conference include President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who will be the Special Guest of Honour, the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, and the President of the Ghana Bar Association.

Also expected in attendance will be legal experts in academia, leading private legal practitioners and other leading personalities in the legal profession.

Aim

A statement announcing the conference said it was aimed at strengthening collaboration and enhancing synergy among lawyers and legal professionals in the public sector.

The conference also seeks to enhance the expertise of the participants in critical areas such as international commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration, negotiation, drafting and review of contracts affecting the state.

In furtherance of this objective, the participants will be trained in arbitration, civil procedure and how to effectively defend the state. This shall be conducted by leading lawyers from around the world, particularly, Ghana, London, Mauritius, Canada and Nigeria.

The conference comes at a time when the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has seen a considerable facelift in terms of personnel training, and retooling in terms of vehicle supply to agencies under the completion and utilisation of the 12-storey modern office complex for the ministry.

Also, the conference comes at a time when the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice working together with other ministries have achieved resounding victories in defending significant monetary claims against the country, demonstrating the need for continuous training and capacity building in complex legal areas such as arbitration, contract management, and dispute resolution.