Parliament has passed the Legal Education Bill, 2025, introducing reforms aimed at improving access, equity, and quality in Ghana’s legal education system.
The legislation establishes a new Council for Legal Education and Training to regulate legal education and set curriculum standards across institutions.
The move is expected to decentralise and modernise the framework for training lawyers in the country.
A major provision of the Bill is the shift of professional legal education from the Ghana School of Law to accredited universities.
Under the new system, approved institutions will offer a Law Practice Training Course to prepare qualified candidates for a National Bar Examination.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the passage of the Bill fulfils a key promise by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to reform legal education and make it more inclusive.
“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, arguing that while the reform is commendable, it does not absolve the administration from delivering on other key campaign commitments.
He maintained that the government must demonstrate equal urgency in addressing broader national issues alongside reforms in the legal education sector.
The passage of the Bill marks a significant shift in Ghana’s legal training regime, with stakeholders expected to closely monitor its implementation and impact on the legal profession.
