Prominent legal practitioner Kwaku Azar has issued a strong call to dismantle the Ghana School of Law’s exclusive control over legal professional training, labeling the current system outdated and counterproductive.
His appeal emphasizes the urgent need for reform to align legal education with modern demands and global best practices.
Azar stressed that the existing framework wastes both time and potential, declaring, “We cannot afford another wasted year. We must end the outdated monopoly of the Ghana School of Law now.” He proposed a decentralized model where students could complete their professional training at accredited universities, followed by a standardized national Bar Examination administered twice annually. The exam would assess core legal competencies, research skills, and practical application, ensuring uniformity while fostering competition and accessibility.
Highlighting the readiness of both students and institutions, Azar noted, “Students are eager to learn and are ready to pay. Universities are prepared to teach and need the opportunity.” He criticized the General Legal Council (GLC) for obstructing this natural alignment of supply and demand, invoking the late economist Yaw Asante’s principles to argue against artificial market distortions.
Azar pointed to Kenya as a precedent, where a similar monopoly was struck down by courts for violating constitutional principles. His argument underscores a growing regional trend toward liberalizing legal education to meet expanding needs.
The current system has faced mounting criticism over high attrition rates and limited admission slots, which many attribute to the GLC’s rigid oversight. While proponents argue centralized training ensures quality, reformers like Azar contend that a national exam paired with rigorous university programs would maintain standards while increasing equity.
This debate unfolds amid broader discussions about modernizing Ghana’s legal education to address backlogged courts and a shortage of practitioners. As Azar’s challenge gains traction, stakeholders await whether policymakers will heed calls for a more inclusive and efficient pathway to the Bar.
The push for reform reflects a broader recognition that legal education must evolve to serve public interest. With jurisdictions like Kenya offering viable alternatives, Ghana’s reluctance to adapt risks leaving its aspiring lawyers and justice system at a disadvantage.
Read His Statement Below
GOGO Calls for an Immediate End to the Ghana School of Law Monopoly!
We cannot afford another wasted year. We must end the outdated monopoly of the Ghana School of Law now.
1. Legal education reform is urgent:
It is neither sustainable nor fair to force every LLB graduate through a single, non-university institution with limited capacity — while accredited universities, equipped with moot courts, clinics, and interdisciplinary programs, are sidelined.
2. Ghana is facing a lawyer shortage:
District courts lack lawyers. Critical national initiatives like ORAL need prosecutors. We cannot meet the needs of justice with artificial barriers to legal education.
3. Kenya has shown the way:
The courts in Kenya recently struck down the Kenya School of Law’s monopoly. They declared it unconstitutional — and opened the path for universities to train advocates. We must not be left behind.
4. A simple solution exists:
Let students complete professional training at their accredited universities. Administer a national Bar Examination twice a year — testing core common law competencies, legal research, and real-world practice skills.
5. The market is ready:
Students are eager to learn and are ready to pay. Universities are prepared to teach and need the opportunity. There is demand. There is supply. Why should we let a moribund GLC distort what we all learned from Yaw Asante’s Economics Without Tears?
6. The time to act is now!:
We cannot waste another July.
We cannot strand another generation of capable students.
We cannot hold back Ghana’s legal progress any longer.
GOGO says:
End the monopoly NOW!
Expand opportunity NOW!
Reform legal education now!
#EndTheMonopoly#ReformLegalEducation#GhanaNeedsLawyers#GOGOSpeaks
Da Yie!
