Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine has unveiled sweeping reforms to Ghana’s legal education system, announcing plans to scrap the current Ghana School of Law admissions structure in favor of a national bar examination.
The proposed reforms, disclosed during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on July 28, 2025, will be encapsulated in a new Legal Education Bill expected to be presented to Cabinet in August.
Under the new framework, LLB graduates from accredited universities will undertake a one-year Bar Practice Programme within their own institutions. Upon completion, they will sit for a standardized national bar exam to qualify as legal practitioners.
“The bill will abolish the Ghana School of Law system. Universities will provide practical legal education internally, and students will write a national bar exam similar to the Institute of Chartered Accountants model,” Dr. Ayine stated.
The reforms aim to decentralize legal training and expand access to the bar, addressing long-standing criticisms of the current system’s limited intake and centralized structure.
“We’re shifting from exclusion to inclusion, ensuring all qualified LLB holders have a clear, merit-based path to becoming lawyers,” he added.
Dr. Ayine confirmed that the final draft of the Legal Education Bill was submitted to his deputy, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, on July 27, ahead of the public announcement.
