President John Dramani Mahama has officially assented to the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, introducing major changes to Ghana’s legal education system and ending the Ghana School of Law’s long-standing monopoly on professional legal training.
The new legislation is expected to widen access to professional legal education by permitting accredited universities and institutions to offer professional law programmes, a role that had previously been reserved solely for the Ghana School of Law for more than six decades.
For years, concerns had been raised over the limited access to professional legal training in Ghana, particularly the challenges surrounding admission into the Ghana School of Law.
Many qualified LLB graduates were often unable to continue their legal education due to restricted spaces and the highly competitive entrance examination process.
Speaking after signing the bill into law on Monday, May 11, President Mahama stated that the legislation seeks not only to regulate legal education and maintain high standards, but also to create broader opportunities for aspiring lawyers in Ghana.
Under the previous arrangement, the Ghana School of Law was the only institution authorised to provide the Professional Law Course required for qualification and call to the Bar.
Its monopoly, which lasted for 66 years, had frequently sparked national debate, with students, legal professionals and civil society groups consistently advocating reforms to make legal education more accessible.
The passage of the bill is therefore being seen as a significant milestone in addressing those long-standing concerns.
With the law now in effect, universities and institutions that satisfy the required standards and secure approval from the appropriate regulatory bodies will be allowed to offer professional legal education programmes in Ghana.
Source: citinews
