The aggrieved 499 law students have said in as much as they welcome the response from the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame to Parliament that he is already taking steps to solve the issue bothering on their admission into the Ghana School of Law (GSL) he must act swiftly.
Speaking in an interview, Leader for the students, Daniel Sackey pointed out Ghana has no excuse in protecting the rights of citizens as well as providing access to education.
“It gives us much hope because we feel that the response by the Attorney General directed to us, it is a response to the Parliamentary Resolution.
But we will want it to be on record that before Parliament passed the Resolution we had taken certain steps in making sure that we get justice on our rights that are being trampled upon and are rectified.
“The Attorney General stated categorically that he was instructed by the President to go into our issue per the powers given to him in sub-session 1 of Act 32 of the Legal Profession Act. We are hopeful that the learned Attorney General is going to act as swiftly as possible so that we would not be disadvantaged,” he stated.
Daniel Sackey, however, added that even though they had a good case with what they are seeking, the Resolution from Parliament makes their case better.
Background
The Attorney General on Monday rejected a resolution by Parliament for the General Legal Council to admit some 499 law students who were denied admission into the Ghana School of Law despite making the 50 per cent pass mark.
Parliament on Friday passed a resolution for the General Legal Council to compel the Ghana Law School to admit the 499 students who sat for the 2021 entrance exams and passed in accordance with the marking scheme as advertised.
This follows a motion moved by deputy minority whip Ahmed Ibrahim, fine-tuned by the first deputy speaker who was presiding Joseph Osei-Owusu and repeated by Effutu MP and deputy majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
But in a statement to Parliament on Monday, November 1, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame said Parliament is “devoid of the power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law. The mode of exercising legislative power enshrined in article 106 of the Constitution does not admit resolutions.”
“In accordance with section 13(1)(e) and (f) of the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32), the power to regulate the admission of students to pursue courses of instruction leading to qualification as lawyers and to hold examinations which may include preliminary, intermediate and final examinations has been vested in the General Legal Council. It is correct that section 1(5) of Act 32 stipulates thus:
“The Council shall in the performance of their functions comply with any general directions given by the Minister’. In my respectful opinion, this provision underscores the capacity of the Executive not the Legislature, through the Minister responsible for the General Legal Council, i.e. the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, to direct and advise the Council on major matters of national importance.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
