Gov’t to Abolish Ghana School of Law Admissions in Landmark Legal Education Reform
In a historic policy shift, Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced sweeping reforms to the country’s legal education system that will abolish the current Ghana School of Law admissions regime, replacing it with a decentralised national bar examination.
The bold proposal, unveiled during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, July 28, 2025, forms part of a comprehensive legal education bill scheduled for Cabinet submission in August.
End of Centralised Legal Training
At the core of the proposed changes is the dismantling of the long-criticised centralised model, which has historically limited access to legal practice. Under the new system:
- LLB graduates from accredited universities will undergo a one-year Bar Practice Programme (BPP) at their institutions.
- Graduates will then sit for a standardised national bar exam, similar to the qualification system used by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
“The bill will abolish the Ghana School of Law system,” Dr. Ayine stated. “Universities will be allowed to provide practical legal education internally, and successful students will write a national bar exam.”
From Exclusion to Inclusion
Dr. Ayine emphasised that the reforms are designed to make legal education more inclusive by providing all qualified LLB holders a fair opportunity to be called to the Bar—ending years of bottlenecks and mass rejections of law graduates.
“We are shifting from exclusion to inclusion. Our aim is to ensure that all qualified LLB holders have a clear and merit-based path to becoming lawyers.”
The current system, which requires law graduates to pass an entrance exam for admission to the Ghana School of Law, has been heavily criticised for its limited capacity, high failure rates, and allegations of lack of transparency. Thousands of graduates each year find themselves stranded, unable to progress despite meeting academic requirements.
What Happens Next?
Dr. Ayine disclosed that the final draft of the legal education bill was submitted to his deputy, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, on Sunday, July 27, for final review ahead of its formal introduction to Cabinet.
Once passed, the bill will overhaul Ghana’s legal training landscape, placing accredited universities at the centre of legal education delivery and transforming access to the legal profession in a manner that prioritises competence over exclusivity.
The reforms are being hailed by many in the legal and academic communities as a long-overdue modernisation of Ghana’s legal education system—one that aligns with international best practices and promotes equity and efficiency.
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