Parliament has passed the Legal Education Bill, 2025, paving the way for major reforms in Ghana’s legal education system.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the passage of the bill fulfils the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) commitment to promoting equity, fairness, and improved access to legal education.
“As has been typical of the NDC, promises made are delivered. We promised law students that if they vote for us, we will carry out reforms that will ensure equity, fairness and access to legal education,” he stated.
However, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticised the government, accusing it of failing to deliver on key campaign promises. He argued that although legal education reform is important, the government must show equal commitment to other pledges.
“All of us have participated. This is not a bill that is identified with a particular party. I concede that indeed they made it a campaign promise. Mr Speaker, however, they equally promised that they were going to set up a bank for women. We are done with year one; year two, we have not seen the Women Bank,” he said.
The bill establishes a Council for Legal Education and Training to regulate legal education and set curriculum standards across institutions. It also shifts professional legal education and training from the Ghana School of Law to accredited universities.
Under the new framework, approved universities will offer a law practice training course to prepare eligible candidates for a national bar examination.
