Phalonzy

Government has instituted transitional arrangements to shepherd LLB graduates and the thousands languishing in the admission backlog into the restructured legal education architecture ushered in by the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170).

The directives, issued by Professor Raymond Atuguba, Director of Legal Education and Director of the Ghana School of Law, on behalf of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, are designed to avert disruption as the new regime takes effect.

The Act, duly passed by Parliament and assented to by President John Dramani Mahama, dismantles the centralized model and decentralizes professional training by empowering accredited faculties to deliver the Law Practice Training Programme. However, authorities concede there is inadequate time for universities to secure accreditation and operationalize the LPT before the next academic year.

The reforms also confront a pressing backlog estimated at 5,000 to 8,000 LLB holders stalled under the erstwhile Independent Examinations Committee regime, which mandated a qualifying entrance exam.

Under the interim framework, GTEC-accredited universities may retain their graduating cohorts for an additional year to complete a Pre-Bar Course. The curriculum encompasses core doctrinal areas: Company Law, Commercial Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Family Law, and Interpretation of Deeds and Statutes, among others.

Graduates who complete the course will receive institutional certification, enabling progression to the LPT, eligibility for the National Bar Examination, and eventual call to the Bar.

Prof. Atuguba noted alignment with stakeholder input:
“I am happy to note that these Policy Directives are substantially aligned with the recommendations of the Conference of Law Deans at their emergency meeting on the impending reforms held on May 13, 2026.”

He further clarified the exigency:
“As you are aware, the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170) has been passed by Parliament, assented to by the President, and published in the Gazette. However, the Council for Legal Education and Training established under the Act is yet to be constituted. This letter therefore constitutes Interim Policy Directives on some urgent matters.”

Faculties unable to mount the Pre-Bar Course may either collaborate with the Ghana School of Law or transfer students there for the transitional programme. Accredited institutions are also authorized to admit external LLB graduates and backlog candidates into the Pre-Bar.

For this year’s graduates, the pathway to practice now requires completion of the one-year Pre-Bar Course before matriculating into the LPT at institutions accredited by the yet-to-be-constituted CLET. The practical curriculum includes Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Law of Evidence, Conveyancing and Drafting, Advocacy and Professional Ethics, and Legal Practice Management and Accounting.

Crucially, the directives abolish the entrance examination. The IEC and its admission regime have been expunged under Act 1170. Backlog students may now apply directly to accredited faculties or the Ghana School of Law, with admission contingent on institutional policy and capacity.

Prof. Atuguba urged faculties to leverage the transition period to recalibrate curricula, fortify practice-oriented instruction, upgrade infrastructure, and prepare for accreditation. Applications to run the LPT are slated to open in October 2026, with full implementation targeted for the 2027/2028 academic year.

The directives have been dispatched to universities and stakeholders for immediate execution as Ghana transitions to the new legal education paradigm.