REPUBLIC V. COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE APONSAH

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The applicant is a legal practitioner of some 22 years standing at the bar. On Monday, 17 June 1991 he appeared fully-robed before the Court of Appeal (coram: Lamptey, Adjabeng and Ofori Boateng JJA) with Mr. Ben Annan who the applicant describes as junior counsel. The applicant had come to the Court of Appeal to argue a civil appeal which involved him personally as the appellant and the second respondent herein as the respondent. According to the applicant when the appeal was called, Mr. Ben Annan announced that he appeared for the applicant (then the appellant) and that he was being led by the applicant himself. Upon that announcement the applicant alleges that Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, counsel for the respondent, objected to his being robed since he was himself a party. At that prompting, the court ordered that he should doff his wig and gown. He believed that after he had been disrobed in court he would be accorded the right of audience but that this was denied him.

The…