Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, has challenged the notion that Ghana has adequate numbers of lawyers, asserting instead that the country is “completely under-lawyered.”
Contrary to popular belief, Professor Atuguba pointed out that the acceptable lawyer-to-citizens ratio is one lawyer to 250 citizens. However, in Ghana, this ratio is currently one lawyer to 5,000 citizens, indicating a significant disparity.
In an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, April 18, Professor Atuguba emphasised the urgent need to train more lawyers in Ghana to bridge this gap and better serve the needs of the population.
In his view, the shortage of lawyers in the country poses a hindrance to its progress, as legal representation and expertise are essential for the effective functioning of various sectors and institutions.
Professor Atuguba called for a concerted effort to address this imbalance, stressing that without an adequate number of trained lawyers, Ghana’s development may be hindered, and the interests of its citizens may not be fully served.
He called into question the fairness of anyone who views Ghana’s current lawyer-to-citizen ratio as satisfactory, highlighting the need for greater attention to be given to legal education and training in the country.
“… But for argument’s sake, let’s stick with the highest number of 7,000 plus and then look at the lawyer-to-population ratio. The appropriate lawyer-to-population ratio is a lawyer to 250 citizens but our ratio in Ghana using the higher number of 7,000 plus is almost one layer to 5,000 citizens. So contrary to popular beliefs, Ghana is completely under-layered,” he said.
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