The government has announced plans to overhaul Ghana’s legal education system with the introduction of a National Bar Examination to replace the existing law school entrance examination. The proposal was disclosed by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, as part of a new Legal Education Bill currently before Parliament.
According to the Attorney General, the proposed reforms are aimed at expanding access to professional legal training while maintaining high standards within the legal profession. Under the current system, law graduates must pass a competitive entrance examination administered by the General Legal Council before gaining admission to the Ghana School of Law. This process has often been criticised for limiting opportunities for qualified graduates.
The new framework seeks to eliminate the entrance examination entirely. Instead, students who obtain an LLB degree from accredited universities will undergo a one year practical legal training programme at their respective institutions. Upon completion of this professional training, candidates will sit a standardised National Bar Examination, which will determine their eligibility to be called to the Bar.
Dr Ayine explained that the proposed system would decentralise professional legal training, reduce pressure on a single institution, and ensure fairness for law graduates across the country. He emphasised that the National Bar Examination would be strictly regulated to safeguard the quality and integrity of the legal profession.
The bill, if passed, is expected to significantly transform legal education in Ghana by allowing universities to play a more active role in professional training while shifting final qualification to a national assessment model. Government officials believe this approach will address long standing concerns about access, transparency, and capacity constraints within the current legal education structure.
Parliament is expected to review the bill in the coming weeks as stakeholders continue to debate its potential impact on the future of legal training in Ghana.
