The Parliament of Ghana has passed the Legal Education Bill, 2025, a major reform expected to transform professional legal training in the country.
For 66 years, the Ghana School of Law, established in 1958, remained the only institution authorized to provide the professional legal training required for law graduates to qualify and practice as lawyers in Ghana.
The newly passed bill seeks to abolish that long-standing monopoly by allowing other accredited institutions to offer professional legal training programmes. Supporters of the reform argue that the move will improve access to legal education, reduce congestion at the Ghana School of Law, and create more opportunities for qualified law graduates who have struggled over the years to gain admission into the professional programme.
The bill is also expected to introduce a new regulatory framework for legal education and professional training, with oversight mechanisms aimed at maintaining standards while expanding access. However, some critics and legal practitioners have raised concerns about quality control, warning that expanding professional legal training could compromise standards within the legal profession.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s programme “Adekye Mu Nsem,” hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu, private legal practitioner Kwame Adofo expressed strong support for the reforms contained in the bill.
According to Lawyer Adofo, the passage of the bill is a positive step that should be embraced by all stakeholders. He stated that the most important requirement should be for students to meet the necessary academic qualifications.
Referring to the current arrangement, he noted that the Makola-based Ghana School of Law admits only about 200 students annually, creating a major bottleneck for many qualified law graduates. He argued that allowing universities to run professional law programmes would end the monopoly in admissions and enable more students to qualify and practice law in Ghana.
Lawyer Adofo further stated that the previous system was unfair because students who successfully complete their LLB studies should not be prevented from practicing law. He rejected claims that the reforms would compromise quality, insisting that such criticisms are politically motivated.
According to him, students already receive adequate legal education at the university level, making the additional entrance examination at the Ghana School of Law unnecessary. He questioned why graduates who have completed their law studies and passed their examinations should still be required to undergo another admission process before proceeding with professional training.
He emphasized that the Legal Management Board should remain the key regulatory body to ensure standards are maintained while also preventing corruption and bribery in admissions.
Lawyer Adofo stressed that many law graduates are currently unable to practice despite completing their studies, and therefore the new bill presents an important opportunity to widen access to the legal profession.
He concluded by endorsing the government’s decision to pass the bill, stating that law graduates should be able to progress directly into legal practice without unnecessary barriers.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah