On Monday, the 29th Nov 2021, at the International Conference on the future of legal education in Ghana/Africa which was held at the University of Ghana, School of law.
President Akufo Addo said reforming Ghana’s current legal education regime is necessary to accommodate current realities.
Further elaboration was that the new system will have to be girded by a strong element of sustainability.
Indications made by the president continued on the notes ” sustainable legal education will have its base, the establishment of a regime that will consider the pressing needs of the growing law student population and the expected demands of the generation unborn that will study law.
It will be qualitative in its operation but with a fair and balanced quantitative selection system”
He furthered on with ” It must also streamline the regulatory dualism between Ghana Tertiary Commission and the General Legal Council when it comes to legal education.
I have to restate my conviction that the General Legal Council must have the final say”
He indicated that directions have already been given to the attorney General to fast track the balance of consultations on the legal profession Bill and lay it before cabinet as well as Parliament for the possibility of enactment.
Akufo Addo said ” This Bill aims to address comprehensively the issues of legal education in Ghana today. It must dispel the notion that the legal profession is a guild, a small club of mostly men, which is difficult to penetrate”.
President Akufo Addo in his speech said if the new Legal Profession Act, which is under consideration, will provide for a multiplicity of law schools to regulate the teaching of the professional examinations and break the monopoly of the General Legal Counsel.
“There can be no substitute for the General Legal Council being responsible for the maintenance of standards in the new system”