[1991]DLCA245 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">ABOAGYE DA COSTA</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[1976] 2 GLR 313 </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE: 3</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">RD </span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JULY, 1991</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">B. J. DA ROCHA (WITH HIM MENSAH BONSU) FOR THE APPELLANT.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">ANSON (MRS), CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE RESPONDENT.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">FRANCOIS J.S.C, AMPIAH AND ADJABENG JJ.A.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;mso-outline-level:1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">FRANCOIS J.S.C.</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Francois J.S.C. delivered the judgment of the court. This is an appeal from the findings and order of a disciplinary committee constituted under the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32) which found the appellant guilty of grave professional misconduct and suspended him from practice for one year.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The charges which the disciplinary committee formulated against the appellant had their genesis from the souring of relationship between the appellant and one Nana Bosompem, the complainant. The two had started out as good friends. Nana Bosompem seemed to have relied on his lawyer friend for assistance in solving his legal problems. A number of situations where this kind of assistance was sought has been narrated. In return, Nana Bosompem claims to have given his solicitor friend princely sums, some even unsought. The appellant rejects the picture of the complainant as a munificent philanthropist to whom he is beholden. He does not accept that he was kept in funds. He even rejects the thought of the complainant as a friend. He denies that he acted on Nana Bosompem’s legal instructions. The furtherest he would go, is to admit proffering legal advice on one or two occasions only.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Except for one area of instructions, we would agree with the appellant and hold that there was no general retainer creating a legal obligation which would prohibit the appellant from acting against Bosompem. Where the appellant had given advice in the past, we are satisfied it had been offered on a purely friendly basis. Moreover, the advice given was not of such a manner and frequency as to create a special relationship amounting to a retainer. The aspect of a general retainer or its equivalent, binding the appellant to the complainant, we dismiss outright as, unfounded.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 115%; b