Human rights lawyer Francis-Xavier Sosu has vowed to challenge the three-year ban imposed on him by the General Legal Council for "personal advertisement and touting."
He is well respected for doing pro bono cases (denoting work undertaken without charge, especially legal work for a client on low income).
Sosu was suspended following a disciplinary action opened against him by the professional body. He was banned for three years.
According to the disciplinary briefing seen by Pulse.com.gh, he took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.
“The disciplinary committee of the General legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he; while acting as Council for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defense Staff, minister of interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting,” a leak statement of the report said.
The report continued: "He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he; while acting as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra,Ghana, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement
“Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts and was sentenced to a period of three years suspension commencing June 2,2017 and ending 1 day of June,2020. He is to be mentored by a senior and for a period of one year commencing 2 June,2020 and ending 1 June 2021. The senior to mentor him shall lodge periodic reports on him to the general legal council’s disciplinary committee at the end of every month during the mentorship.”