Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed, has said Parliament will still have to deal with the Attorney General, Godfred Dame in spite of complying with the resolution to admit the 499 law students who obtained the 50 per cent pass mark.
“The end game is to deal with him to ensure that next time any person who is given the opportunity to serve as a minister, whose comfort is ensured by the tax payers, will act more responsibly.
“It was so disrespectful the manner in which he delivered that statement, it was completely unbecoming of a minister. He is my very good friend but I am compelled to use some of these words on him,” he said.
The AG in a four (4) page letter addressed to the Chairman of the General Legal Council, the Attorney General highlighted what he says is the perception “of a lack of transparency and doubts about the integrity of the admission processes into the Ghana School of Law, created by the manner in which the admission processes were handled by the GLC in 2021, as well as the enormous public interest generated thereby”.
“These circumstances, in my respectful view, warrant a reconsideration of the decision not to admit the 499 candidates. I am aware that arrangements have been put in place already for commencement of the first year professional law course by candidates deemed to have passed the entrance examination for the 2021/2022 academic year” the Attorney General’s letter read.
The Minority had earlier presented a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament that was seeking to pass vote of censure against Dame for failing to implement a resolution of Parliament to admit 499 law school students.
The memorandum reads “That This Honorable House passes a vote of censure on the Honorable Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, in respect of the following conduct: Refusal, without justifiable basis, to implement the resolution of this Honorable House unanimously passed on October 29, that the General Legal Council admits into the Ghana School of Law 499 students who sat for and passed the entrance examination of the Ghana School of Law for the 2021/22 legal year In accordance with its own published grounds rules, Impugning the image and integrity of this Honorable House through statements unbecoming of the holder of the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice of this Republic.”
Mr. Dame had earlier told to Parliament that the resolution they passed was not binding.
The AG indicated that Parliament is devoid of the power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law.
The House on Friday October 29 resolved that all LLB students who obtained the 50 per cent pass mark in the law school entrance examinations should be admitted. The unanimous decision was arrived at by voice votes in Parliament.
But in a response, the AG said “Respectfully, I am aware of a resolution passed by Parliament at its sitting on Friday, 29th October, 2021 in these terms: … The General Legal Council is hereby directed to proceed and admit all the students who passed in accordance with the advertised rules of the examinations.. The Attorney-General is the leader of the bar in Ghana and he must see to it that the directive that 499 students who scored 50 marks are admitted is complied with.
“We do not want to get to contempt of Parliament issues. Whilst recognizing the general legislative powers of Parliament in Ghana, except as have been circumscribed by the Constitution, I am constrained to advise that Parliament is devoid of a power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law.
“The mode of exercising legislative power enshrined in article 106 of the Constitution does not admit of resolutions.
Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed, has said Parliament will still have to deal with the Attorney General, Godfred Dame.
