Private legal practitioner and law lecturer, Thaddeus Sory, has raised concerns about irregularities in Ghana’s legal education system, alleging that some individuals are being called to the Bar despite not meeting the Ghana School of Law’s mandatory attendance and participation requirements.
Thaddeus Sory questioned how certain individuals qualify to be called to the Bar when their schedules make it impossible for them to have attended classes as required.
“You suddenly hear that somebody has been called to the Bar, and you wonder at what point that person went through law school,” he said.
“Because the person has a schedule which, by no miracle, could have allowed them to attend classes regularly. By the school’s own policy, you must attend a number of lectures and participate in a particular way. Yet, they are called to the Bar. You see the person there,” he added.
Mr. Sory indicated that such developments undermine the integrity and fairness of the legal education system. He called for the introduction of a single, national bar examination to determine who qualifies to practice law, instead of relying on separate entrance exams and interviews.
“The law school could still train lawyers, but instead of conducting separate entrance exams and interviews, let everyone write one national bar exam. That will ensure fairness and transparency,” he stated.
He further noted that such a system would allow the General Legal Council (GLC) to concentrate on its core regulatory responsibilities.
“The GLC has a lot to do. They should focus on regulation and leave the school education,” Mr. Sory said.
