Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa Asare, has welcomed the proposal to replace the existing law school admissions process with a national bar examination.
In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the seasoned legal practitioner described the move as timely and commendable, urging the Attorney General to ensure its full implementation.
“This is a good step, and I hope it will be implemented,” he stated.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, July 28, 2025, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, announced that a new Legal Education Bill—expected to go before Cabinet in August—will introduce a national bar examination.
Under the proposed changes, all LLB graduates from accredited institutions will undertake a one-year Bar Practice Programme within their respective universities. After completing the programme, students will sit for a centralised national bar exam to qualify as lawyers.
Mr. Ansa Asare, however, urged the Attorney General to go a step further by introducing a legal framework that formally backs the Ghana School of Law.
“The Ghana Law School is not backed by any law; it is the General Legal Council, established by the Legal Profession Act, that decided to create a place to train lawyers. So, with a new legal framework backing the Ghana Law School, nobody can just come in and make contrary decisions,” he explained.
He acknowledged that the new model would end the Ghana School of Law’s long-standing monopoly over professional legal education.
“Our admissions are overwhelming because the number of applicants far exceeds the available facilities. This will reduce the restrictive nature of our law exams. The Ghana Bar Association must also be empowered to determine the number of lawyers needed per the national requirement,” he added.
By Gertrude Otchere
