Parliament has passed a landmark Legal Education Reform Bill that will fundamentally reshape professional legal training in Ghana, bringing an end to the Ghana School of Law’s decades-long monopoly over the training of lawyers.
The legislation, which now awaits presidential assent, opens the door for accredited universities across the country to provide professional law training, a move widely expected to expand access to legal education and reduce the bottleneck that has long frustrated law graduates.
Under the new law, a Council for Legal Education and Training will be established to regulate the sector, accredit institutions, and standardise curricula nationwide. Universities approved by the Council will be permitted to run the Law Practice Training Course, enabling graduates to qualify for the newly introduced National Bar Examination.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga described the passage of the Bill as the fulfilment of a key campaign promise to law students and the wider public.
“As has been typical of the NDC, promises made are delivered. We promised law students that if they vote for us, we will carry out reforms that will ensure equity, fairness and access to legal education.”
For years, admission limitations at the Ghana School of Law meant that many qualified LLB graduates were unable to continue their professional training, sparking protests, public debate, and calls for reform.
However, the passage of the Bill was not without criticism. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin cautioned that while the reform is important, the government must also fulfil other commitments made to Ghanaians.
“All of us have participated. This is not a bill that is identified with a particular party. I concede that indeed they made it a campaign promise. Mr Speaker, however, they equally promised that they were going to set up a bank for women. We have not seen the Women’s Bank.”
Despite the political exchanges, lawmakers from both sides acknowledged broad bipartisan support for reforming legal education, an issue that has lingered for decades.
