Accra, Oct. 2, GNA - The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood on Friday called for the introduction of an entrance examination as the basis for the admission of students to the Ghana School of Law (GSL).

She said GSL as a professional legal institution would not accept as the sole criterion for admission products of a given Law Faculty on account of the number of students graduating in a given year. Mrs Justice Wood was speaking at the enrolment of 129 new lawyers into the legal profession in Accra.

They have successfully completed the necessary courses in their professional training to qualify them to be called to the Bar. Mrs Justice Wood pointed out that the Law Faculties as the source of human material for the Law School and the Legal Profession should ensure the right calibre of students and in the right numbers were admitted for the Bachelor of Law Degree (LL.B) programme. "Mass or wholesale admission of students without due cognizance to the lecturer student ratio of 1:18, as well as library, ICT and other facilities needed for effective and efficient running of the LLB programme, inevitably leads to low quality graduates and saddles the school with poor quality material ill suited for professional legal training", she said.

Mrs Justice Wood said it was not possible to admit the over 450 applicants to the GSL this year due to the limited facilities available. Therefore, the General Legal Council (GLC) had to adopt a quota system of admission for the various categories of applicants as an interim emergency measure.

However, she said steps were being taken to address the problem through the establishment of Law School campuses at the Law faculties and ultimately the construction of a six-storey classroom lecture theatre complex at the GSL to accommodate the increasing number of students.

"In this connection, the faculties are urged to build the necessary human and logistical capacities for the smooth implementation of the programme, "she added.

Mrs Justice Wood advised the new lawyers to be mindful of courtroom language and manners.

She pointed out that although the country's adversarial system of litigation had unfortunately led some to believe that refined manners, use of decorous and temperate language was a mark of weakness whereas arrogance, aggressiveness and other forms of obnoxious behaviour including scurrilous attacks on judges was a sign of strength, that clearly was a fallacy and hoped they would make conscious efforts never to tread those paths.

Mrs Justice Wood reminded the new lawyers of the sanctions for objectionable behaviour including contempt citations and having their names struck off the roll.

"For this reason as members of a noble profession, corruption should not be named among you. I will be expecting you to help the Judiciary to keep the streams of justice pure," she said.

Mrs Justice Wood appealed to lawyers especially those in private practice to see legal aid and pro bono services as a social responsibility to the people and endeavour to secure, protect and consolidate the achievements of the country's democratic dispensation. She said as key stakeholders in the democratic process, they owed it to the indigent litigant and prisoner the responsibility of ensuring that the benefits and opportunities of democracy, good governance and the rule of law trickled down to them.

Mrs Clara Kowlaga Kasser-Tee was adjudged the best student and received the John Mensah Sarbah award. 02 Oct. 09