In the local case entitled In re Allegation of Professional Misconduct against Obetsebi-Lamptey, Divisional Court, Accra, 13 January 1956, unreported where the respondent, a lawyer, who appeared for the Tema stool in the Tema Acquisition Enquiry, submitted a bill to the stool for £9,148 being twenty per cent of the sum of £45,743 awarded by government to the stool and its subjects, the Divisional Court of three judges presided by Wilson C.J. found him guilty of professional misconduct under section 65 of the Legal Practitioners Ordinance, Cap. 8 (1951 Rev.), and, inter alia, observed: In respect of our findings above that the charges made were grossly excessive and exorbitant, we would add that we think them so grossly excessive as to amount to fraud, especially having regard to the facts that the clients concerned were largely illiterate persons, ignorant of the law and their rights under it as regards taxation of costs in respect of fees claimed from them . . . we consider that it is the duty of legal practitioners in this country to safeguard the interests of their clients and not to exploit them. #FIRI TITI
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:47:27 +0000
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