Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced sweeping reforms to Ghana’s legal education system, aimed at replacing the current Ghana School of Law admissions process with a more inclusive national bar examination.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, Dr. Ayine revealed that the proposed model will eliminate the existing bottlenecks that have long frustrated law graduates seeking to enter the legal profession.

“We are shifting from exclusion to inclusion,” he stated. “Our goal is to provide every qualified LLB holder with a clear, merit-based pathway to being called to the bar.”

Under the new framework, LLB graduates from accredited universities will undertake a one-year Bar Practice Programme at their respective institutions. Upon completion, they will sit for a standardized national bar exam—effectively replacing the decades-old, highly competitive admissions system at the Ghana School of Law.

“The Ghana School of Law model will be abolished,” Dr. Ayine confirmed, adding that the approach will mirror systems used by professional bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants. “Universities will deliver practical legal training internally and all candidates will write a common national bar exam.”

The proposed changes follow years of criticism and public agitation over the restrictive nature of the current system, which has often been described as elitist and outdated. Many law graduates have repeatedly been denied entry into the School of Law despite holding qualifying degrees.

According to Dr. Ayine, a draft bill detailing the reforms has already been prepared and handed to his deputy, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, for review. The legislation is expected to go before Cabinet in August.

If implemented, this will mark one of the most significant overhauls in Ghana’s legal education in decades—widening access and ensuring a fairer, more transparent process for all aspiring lawyers.

Source: TheDotNews