Legal Education And Its Frustration(s) In Ghana

In a country where a sitting chief Justice comes out to say that," so far as she has anything to do with legal education in Ghana, mass production of lawyers is something she won't endorse by virtue of the fact that she chairs the General Legal Council, then certainly people must have cause to rise up and fight the oppressor to the core. Those who think that the legal profession is their bonafide should just wake up from their slumber.

According to the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Ms. Sophia Akuffo, mass production would not ensure quality and the surest way to cut mass production of lawyers in this country is to block access to the Ghana school of law.

It must, however, be noted that no one is asking for the mass production of lawyers in Ghana. The issue at hand is completely different from the feeble position of the current Chief Justice. Access to the Ghana school of law cannot be described as mass production of lawyers. There is a clear distinction between" access "and "production"

The simplest way of dealing with the artificial mess created by the General Legal Council is to allow LLB holders entry to the professional law course for training without any barricade so that when they are done, "they sit for their" license exams at the end of the day like some other professional bodies do.

The idea behind entrance exams in Ghana education is to afford those who don't meet the requisite qualification but are willing to pursue their academic journey. The likes of UCC, UEW, UG all have entrance exams for mature students who may not have the required qualification to enter to pursue various degrees.

It is seriously surprising that students who have already acquired their LLB from the various law faculties accredited by the National Accreditation Board would be subjected to entrance exams before they are allowed to sit for professional law courses when they already meet the qualification.

Isn't it also intriguing that, the very unknown creature under the General Legal Council masquerading as a body in charge of marking scripts at the Ghana School of law still continues to be a faceless entity in view of the fact that, it is not even provided for by the very Act the GLC do derive their powers from?

I couldn't hold my jaws when the former Director of the Ghana School of law, Mr Kwaku Ansa Asare openly rebuked the General legal council and accused them of using entrance exams to perpetrate fraud on innocent students.

According to Mr. Kwaku Ansa Asare, the general legal council is arrogating to themselves powers they don't have and it is about time they are told in plain language.

Access to any educational facility is constitutionally guaranteed by the supreme law of Ghana as stated in Article 25(1) and therefore any attempt whatsoever to restrict same is unconstitutional.

Access to Ghana School of law is not an automation to be called to the bar and same cannot be described as mass production of lawyers in Ghana. The chief Justice should get it clear.

#OpenUpLegalEducationNow#

Dawda Eric(Equity)

Citizen Vigilance for Justice

[email protected]

30th September 2019