Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Boafo, has criticised the Attorney General’s growing tendency to announce criminal charges in the media before initiating formal court processes, warning that the practice could undermine the integrity of Ghana’s legal system. Mr. Boafo’s comments come amid increasing scrutiny of the Attorney General, particularly by the Minority in Parliament, for pre-trial public disclosures on high-profile cases. These include the $49 million fraud case involving former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and the payroll scandal at the National Service Authority, which implicates Gifty Oware-Mensah and several others. Speaking after the launch of the 20th Law Students’ Union (LSU) Week celebration at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Monday, June 24, Mr. Boafo said the practice of public commentary before court action could amount to trial by media. “You are going to go to the courtroom and still bring your indictment and let the charge be read to the person, for the person to plead guilty or not guilty. So, how then do you go and put the matter in public that ultimately is going to end up in the courtroom?” he questioned. He further noted that individuals publicly named by the Attorney General often have no formal charges filed against them at the time, denying them the opportunity to respond appropriately. “The AG can give a rendition of events or facts in public, and then the bill of indictment may be something else entirely. It is a bit prejudicial. Because proceedings are going to be held in public, not in camera, there is no need for press conferences that preempt the judicial process,” he added. Mr. Boafo’s concerns echo those of Supreme Court nominee Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo, who last Friday, June 20, during his vetting in Parliament, also urged caution in public communication on cases under investigation. While acknowledging the public’s right to be informed, Justice Ackaah-Boafo warned that state prosecutors, including the Attorney General, must avoid commentary that could jeopardize fair trial standards or violate the principle of presumption of innocence. The criticisms highlight growing unease within legal circles over how high-profile prosecutions are being handled in the media before reaching the courtroom. “If the Attorney General or the prosecutor has a role to play and he or she says ‘I have investigated a matter and I am providing information to the public’, it may be within his mandate. But anything else that may go on to prejudice the trial, certainly if the occasion arises, it can be dealt with,” he stated