'New Legal Education Bill will allow law faculties to train lawyers, conduct Bar exams twice a year' — Dafeamekpor

Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, believes Ghana is close to a legal education revolution.

He spoke on Joy News’ PM Express on May 27. Dafeamekpor, a lawyer, discussed a new Legal Education Bill for Parliament.

The bill aims to decentralise and democratise lawyer training. He criticized the current system for its “corruption” and “monopoly.”

Dafeamekpor said they have been advocating for change since 2018. He noted that law school admissions became contentious and corrupted.

He alleged that some were admitted without taking entrance exams. This situation is scandalous, he claimed.

“Evidence showed that students who didn’t take exams got in,” he stated. The General Legal Council’s disciplinary committee confirmed this with 11 students.

He suggested there may be over 33 such cases but only reported 11 to minimize impact. He questioned what happened to those students admitted through backdoor means.

Dafeamekpor plans to publish an article on this topic soon. He believes it’s time for a modern, inclusive legal education system.

“We want the democratisation of legal education,” he said. He proposed that all accredited faculties should train their own lawyers.

Under the new bill, faculties will provide academic and professional training for law students. They will then present students for a centralised bar exam.

There will be one bar exam held twice yearly—in January and July. Passing in January allows admission to the bar in March or April; passing in July allows admission in September or October.

This approach aims to make legal education more accessible and beneficial for national development.

Dafeamekpor pointed out that many faculties already call themselves law schools. “What is a law school if it can’t train lawyers?” he asked.

The reforms would allow the Ghana School of Law to become one of several institutions offering legal education. It would no longer be the sole gatekeeper for lawyer training.

The school would also compete with other institutions in training lawyers. It would admit its own students and prepare them for the bar exam.

He challenged the idea that all lawyers must practice in courtrooms. “Not every lawyer wants to be a practitioner,” he explained.

Many graduates work in corporate law or other fields where their skills are needed. Dafeamekpor emphasized that legal minds are essential across various sectors of governance.

“In many assemblies, we need lawyers who can guide decision-making,” he said.

When asked about when the bill might pass, Dafeamekpor was confident: “Why not? I’m the Majority Chief Whip.”

He added they plan to move forward with urgency as it is a key political promise they intend to fulfill.