In the ongoing legal discourse surrounding the Chief Justice’s removal proceedings, former Attorney General Godfred Dame has delivered a sharp retort to private legal practitioner Thaddeus Sory. Dismissing Sory’s accusations as “vile propaganda” and blatant falsehoods, Dame didn’t mince words, directly challenging Sory’s boasts and reminding him of past court defeats.
The core of the dispute revolves around the Chief Justice’s removal efforts. Thaddeus Sory, representing one of the petitioners, has attempted to frame the issue as politically motivated. However, Dame has consistently countered this, arguing that the true politicization originates from the petitioners’ camp. He highlighted the composition of their legal team, which notably includes figures with strong ties to the NDC. For Dame, this raises a fundamental question about the true intentions and impartiality of such a major legal action against a sitting Chief Justice, particularly when led by lawyers with clear political affiliations.
Addressing Sory’s public criticisms, particularly the “abusive and offensive language” used, Dame made it clear he would set the record straight for once. He emphatically denied Sory’s claim that he “wore his record of never losing a case as a badge of honor” during his tenure as Attorney General.
“The allegation is mischievous and only continues a series of falsehoods often produced by lawyers of the NDC ilk to feed their foot soldiers,” Dame stated. He then proceeded to list significant losses suffered by his office in high-profile Superior Court cases, including Ghana Centre for Democratic Development & 8 others vrs. The Attorney-General and Ezuame Mannan vrs. The Attorney-General and the Speaker of Parliament. These defeats, Dame asserted, were publicly celebrated as symbols of judicial independence, directly refuting Sory’s narrative.
Dame then turned his attention to Sory’s questioning of his legal acumen, posing pointedly: “Oh Thaddeus! Doth ye have such short memory?” He reminded Sory of a case between 2007 and 2009 where, on opposing sides, Sory “lost miserably (potoo, as we say in Ghanaian parlance)” at the High Court, and again on appeal in 2013. “Was I the Attorney-General in those years?” Dame queried, directly challenging Sory’s insinuation that his success was solely tied to his office.
Further solidifying his point, Dame recalled his efforts as Deputy Attorney General, including the recovery of part of the Woyome judgment debt, long before becoming Attorney General. He also highlighted his successful defense of Ghana’s interests in numerous international arbitration cases and foreign courts, which saved the nation billions of U.S. dollars without the aid of foreign counsel.
“It is this independence of Ghana’s judiciary that I see is threatened by recent happenings in Ghana, and which I seek to protect,” Dame concluded, directly linking his consistent legal performance and principled stance to his current advocacy. He stressed that his record of consistent success in high-profile cases, spanning over two decades in opposition and government, stands as a testament to the strength of Ghana’s judicial system, a system he continues to defend against what he views as politically motivated attacks.
