The Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) proudly hosted the 2025 Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) on Monday, September 15, 2025, marking the first time in the Association’s 149 years history that this prestigious event was held in the Upper West Region. Over 800 legal practitioners, distinguished public officials, traditional leaders, and guests from across Ghana gathered on the Wa campus for a day of reflection, dialogue, and celebration of the legal profession’s pivotal role in nation-building.
Welcoming the gathering to the Conference, the President of the Upper West Region branch of the GBA, Mr. Siddique Ubedu, Esq. celebrated the historic nature of the event and the rich legal heritage of the Region. He proudly recounted the achievements of eminent lawyers hailing from the Upper West Region, noting their significant contributions to Ghana’s Judiciary, politics, and Public Service. Emphasising the importance of the rule of law to national cohesion, he encouraged young lawyers from the Region to emulate the integrity and professional excellence of their predecessors, stating “our roots in justice and service must guide the next generation.” He expressed deep gratitude to the national leadership of the Bar for bringing the Annual Conference to the Upper West Region for the very first time, the University Management and the local organising committee for their tireless preparations.
Representing the Acting Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, His Lordship, Justice Paul, Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie, Esq., 
Her Ladyship Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, Esq, delivered a powerful speech on the central role of the courts and the legal profession in protecting the 1992 Constitution. He reminded lawyers that “integrity of the Bench is the lifeblood of public confidence,” warning that any perception of bias erodes democracy. Justice Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie, Esq., highlighted the need to modernise the justice system through digitisation, stronger ethical discipline, and improved legal aid services so that “justice is not a privilege for the few but a right for all.” He further urged members of the Bar to be vigilant stewards of Ghana’s democratic gains: “The voices of lawyers must never fall silent when constitutionalism is under threat. Our duty to the nation transcends politics and demands fidelity to the Constitution above all else.”
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic A. Ayine, Esq., delivered a wide-ranging speech that called for bold reforms in Ghana’s legal education system. He announced that Cabinet would soon consider a Legal Education Reform Bill aimed at widening access and creating a one-year practice course, to be administered by accredited universities and assessed through a national bar examination.
Dr. Ayine cautioned that maintaining high professional standards must accompany expansion. He urged the legal fraternity to “renew the spirit of the profession,” stressing that lawyers must remain fearless defenders of constitutional democracy and guardians of justice. He also challenged the Bar to help address pressing national issues, including illegal mining (“galamsey”), environmental degradation, and the alarming rise in adolescent substance abuse, arguing that lawyers have a moral duty to speak out and act.
The National GBA President, Mrs. Afua Ghartey, Esq., in her address, highlighted the Association’s achievements in expanding membership, improving welfare services, and advancing critical national conversations. She reaffirmed the Bar’s duty to protect judicial independence, defend human rights, and champion the rule of law, noting that “justice must not only be done but must manifestly be seen to be done.”
Participants also heard inspiring remarks from international partners, including Mrs. Barbara Mills, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales, who joined virtually to emphasise the global responsibility of lawyers as custodians of the rule of law and defenders of human rights.
The Chairman of Council of SDD-UBIDS, Honourable Dr. Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbour, Esq., welcomed delegates and expressed the University’s pride in hosting such a landmark gathering, which he described as a testament to the University’s growing stature as a centre for national and international discourse. Dr. Benjamin Kunbour appealed to the relevant authorities for the completion of ongoing infrastructure of the University.
Traditional leaders of the Upper West Region added cultural significance to the occasion with their warm presence and blessings.
The 2025 GBA Annual Conference at SDD-UBIDS campus, Wa, will forever be remembered as a historic moment that not only celebrated the noble legal profession but also reaffirmed a collective commitment to justice, integrity, and democratic governance in Ghana.
View more photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sEh2CND5eXw4hQUa9
Directorate of University Relations
Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies
Wa Campus, Upper West Region, Ghana
+233 392 097 256 / +233 392 097 257
www.ubids.edu.gh
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