Francis Sosu calls for General Legal Council to be scrapped, labels it ‘amorphous and unaccountable’

A member of the General Legal Council (GLC) wants it scrapped.

Francis Xavier Sosu spoke on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday night. He called for a new, accountable legal education authority.

Sosu, the Madina-Abokobi MP, described the GLC as outdated and opaque. He believes it no longer serves the public interest.

He revealed that he introduced a bill to dissolve the GLC in the eighth parliament. Despite being on the council now, his views remain unchanged.

“It’s ironic that I am a member appointed by the Attorney General,” he said. “I made a strong argument then, and I still stand by those views.”

The MP criticized the GLC’s structure and functions as deeply flawed. He stated it is not accountable enough to the system.

Sosu pointed out past cases where individuals faced opacity from the council. His comments echoed earlier remarks by Prof. Kwaku Ansa-Asare, former Director of the Ghana School of Law.

Prof. Ansa-Asare also called for an overhaul of the GLC. “I wholly agree with him about replacing that council,” Sosu said.

He mentioned that reforms are already underway. The bill is being finalized at cabinet level this week or next week.

However, he noted that the final draft of the bill is not yet public. “We cannot have access to it yet,” he said but expressed hope for significant reforms.

Sosu assured viewers that Parliament can shape this outcome. He serves on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

All Members of Parliament can amend parts of the bill to meet their aspirations.

According to Sosu, this moment offers a chance to correct long-standing issues in legal education.

“We aim to address challenges with legal education and how the council operates.”