"CONFIDENTIALITY IS ONE ETHIC THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED"

Lawyer Nana Owona Asuako Kwapong has sharply criticized a fellow lawyer, Lawyer Appiah Kubi, for taking the unprofessional step of saying his client, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), directly told him that he would be sentenced to prison following his trial. Speaking in a phone interview with Nana Nhyiraba Kwabena Asirifi on the Ghana Nti Morning Show, Lawyer Kwapong stated that the act constitutes professional misconduct. Depending on the type of court and the complexity of the case, judges and lawyers are bound by strict confidentiality, he explained. He noted that in certain instances involving a reserved judgment, a draft is sometimes shared with the client's lawyer to identify and correct any typographical errors before the final ruling is delivered. He added that if a client learns the outcome of their judgment ahead of the official court delivery, it implies the lawyer has breached confidence. Furthermore, while administrative communication in court involves notifying clients of dates and times for subsequent appearances, personnel must ensure clients remain unaware of the judgment's outcome beforehand. Lawyer Nana emphasized that a lawyer is bound by strict confidentiality rules not to disclose the outcome of a case to a client prematurely. He criticized Lawyer Appiah Kubi, stating that it was improper for him to reveal that Chairman Wontumi had informed of his sentencing. "Confidentiality is one ethic that should not be ignored," he concluded. Edited by Deborah Naaki Dowuona.