Bill to break Ghana School of Law monopoly to be moved under certificate of urgency – Dafeamekpor

The South Dayi MP, speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, May 27, emphasized the urgency of reforming the country’s legal education system, describing it as a key political promise that cannot be delayed.

The proposed bill seeks to break the monopoly of the Ghana School of Law, commonly known as Makola, by allowing accredited university law faculties to train lawyers and conduct professional bar exams.

Dafeamekpor, who doubles as a lawyer, highlighted systemic issues in the current legal education framework, particularly the contentious and allegedly corrupted admissions process at the Ghana School of Law.

“We waged this war from about 2018 when intake to the law school became acrimonious, contentious, and eventually corrupted,” he stated.

Under the new legislation, universities with accredited LLB programs will be licensed to provide professional legal training, enabling them to compete with the Ghana School of Law.

The bill also proposes conducting bar exams twice a year—in January and June—to increase access for aspiring lawyers.

“Let every faculty accredited to run the academic LLB programs be accredited or licensed to train their own lawyers,” Dafeamekpor urged.

The MP underscored the bill’s significance, noting its role in addressing the broader need for legally trained professionals across various sectors, not just courtroom practice.

“You need lawyers who may not even be practitioners, but who have the legal mind to guide you,” he said.

Dafeamekpor revealed that the bill’s urgency stems from its status as a major political commitment of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“Why not? I’m the Majority Chief Whip, and we are even minded to move this under a certificate of urgency. It is one of our major political promises, and we will deliver it,” he said.

The push for reform follows years of criticism over the Ghana School of Law’s limited intake and alleged admission irregularities. In 2021, only 790 out of over 2,000 candidates were admitted.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has confirmed that the Attorney General would present the bill during Parliament’s second meeting, which commenced on Tuesday.