Minority urges Akufo-Addo to set up Legal Education Reform Committee to address concerns

The Minority in Parliament has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to establish a Legal Education Reform Committee to review legal education challenges in the country.

Speaking after receiving a petition from protesting LLB graduates demanding reforms to legal education, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said he was in full support of their protest.

“I have no hesitation sharing your view for a critical eye on legal education in Ghana,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu said the Minority could explore other options if the President does not consider the call.

“However, if he fails to do that [establish a Legal Education Reform Committee], we can still use our legislative mandate and authority to get such a commission formed.”

“We share a strong view that legal education should not be reserved for a select few, and we share the view that it should be made increasingly accessible and open without compromising quality,” Mr. Iddrisu added.

The National Association of Law Students and some LLB graduates who were denied entry into the Ghana School of Law despite making the pass mark demonstrated in Accra on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. They subsequently petitioned Parliament over their grievances.

Ordinarily, admission to the Ghana School of Law for professional legal education requires that successful candidates obtain a minimum rank of 50 percent during an entrance exam organised by the General Legal Council.

But a new directive introduced by the GLC prevented a number of students from sailing through.

The MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu, also spoke to the protestors and reiterated the need for reforms.

“This is the time for us to be bold to tell the General Legal Council that what they are doing is illegal.”

He also said there were a number of MPs considering further legislative options to force reforms.

“There are other Members of Parliament who are rising, and we are already considering a private members bill to abolish this entrance exam altogether.”

In his view, General Legal Council must even be dissolved “for the fact that they have not been able to manage this situation.”

“The Ghana Legal Council as currently constituted is made up of very old archaic people whose goal is simply to maintain the status quo,” Mr. Sosu said.

---citinews