The government has introduced interim measures to support the implementation of Ghana’s new legal education framework, providing a clearer pathway for thousands of aspiring lawyers while addressing the long-standing backlog of law graduates awaiting admission to professional legal training.
The transitional directives, issued by the Director of Legal Education and Director of the Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba, on behalf of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, are intended to ensure a smooth transition from the old legal education system to the new framework established under the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170).
The reforms follow the passage of legislation that significantly restructures legal education in Ghana by decentralising professional legal training and allowing accredited universities to play a direct role in preparing students for legal practice.
The changes are regarded as some of the most far-reaching reforms to legal education in decades and are expected to expand access to professional training while reducing pressure on the Ghana School of Law.
A key reason for the transitional arrangements is the large number of LLB graduates who have been unable to gain admission into professional legal training under the previous system. Authorities estimate that between 5,000 and 8,000 graduates remain in the backlog after years of competing for limited places through the Independent Examinations Committee (IEC) admission process.
With the new law now in force, the IEC entrance examination system has been abolished, creating a new pathway for both recent graduates and those who have remained in the backlog.
Under the interim measures, accredited universities will be allowed to retain their graduating LLB students for an additional academic year to undertake a specially designed Pre-Bar Course.
The programme will cover key subjects required for legal practice, including Company Law, Commercial Law, Family Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Interpretation of Deeds and Statutes.
Students who successfully complete the programme will receive certification from their universities, enabling them to proceed to the Law Practice Training (LPT) Programme, sit the National Bar Examination and ultimately qualify for call to the Bar.
The directives also permit accredited law faculties to admit graduates from other institutions as well as backlog students who wish to enrol in the Pre-Bar programme.
Where universities are unable to offer the transitional course, they may collaborate with the Ghana School of Law or transfer affected students to the institution.
The arrangement is expected to ease pressure on the legal training system while universities prepare to seek accreditation under the new framework.
For students graduating this year, the route to becoming a lawyer will involve completing the one-year Pre-Bar programme before advancing to the practical Law Practice Training course at institutions accredited by the Council for Legal Education and Training (CLET), once the new body is formally constituted.
The practical training component will cover Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Law of Evidence, Conveyancing and Drafting, Advocacy and Legal Ethics, as well as Law Practice Management and Legal Accounting.
Explaining the rationale behind the policy directives, Professor Atuguba noted that the measures largely align with proposals previously put forward by stakeholders.
“I am happy to note that the Policy Directives are substantially aligned with the recommendations made by the Conference of Law Deans at its emergency meeting on the impending reforms held on the 13th of May 2026.
“As you are well aware, the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), has been passed by Parliament, assented to by the President, and gazetted. However, the new Council for Legal Education and Training (CLET), established under the Act, is yet to be constituted. This letter serves as a set of Interim Policy Directives covering some very urgent matters.”
The government has also directed universities to use the transition period to strengthen infrastructure, improve practical legal training capacity and review their curricula to align with the new legal education regime.
Applications for accreditation to run the Law Practice Training programme are expected to begin in October this year, with authorities targeting full implementation of the decentralised legal education system by the 2027/2028 academic year.
The reforms are expected to broaden access to legal education, eliminate long-standing admission bottlenecks and create a more inclusive system for training future legal practitioners.
The transitional directives have already been circulated to universities and other stakeholders for immediate implementation as Ghana begins the transition to its new legal education architecture.
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