Nana Susubribri Krobea Asante, Paramount Chief of Asokore Traditional Area, has urged members of the legal profession to consistently uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethics to safeguard the legal system.

He said such standards were grounded in trust and integrity, and were essential to protecting client interests, ensuring fair and impartial justice, and upholding the rule of law.

Nana Krobea Asante made the call on Tuesday at a programme, dubbed: “An Evening with the Legends”, organised in Accra by Lancaster University Ghana.

The engagement forms part of a series designed to enable distinguished personalities to interact with law students on their achievements and service to the nation and beyond.

He charged lawyers to act with honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity in all professional dealings, even when unobserved, to safeguard the image of the profession.

Nana Asante Krobea welcomed ongoing legal education reforms aimed at expanding access and ending the monopoly of the Ghana School of Law.

He noted that the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, is expected to be passed by Parliament by the end of 2026.

Key aspects of the reform include abolishing the Ghana School of Law monopoly, introducing a standardised national bar examination, and reducing professional training from two years to one year.

While expressing openness to the formation of new professional bodies such as the Law Society of Ghana, he emphasised that maintaining high standards must remain the priority.

The Paramount Chief also commended the Constitution Review Committee for the commendable work in addressing gaps in the country’s constitutional framework.

He explained that the committee’s mandate was to identify challenges in implementing recommendations from the 2010 Review Committee and the 2023 Constitution Review Consultative Committee.

“On the whole, the committee has done very well. I urge the public to offer constructive criticism and suggestions to help improve the Constitution,” he said.

Nana Krobea advised students to avoid the temptation of quick wealth acquisition and instead uphold the core values of the legal profession to achieve lasting success.

Dr Emmanuel Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer of Lancaster University Ghana, said the programme offered students an opportunity to understand the origins of the law and the factors that had shaped its development.

“It gives them an opportunity to appreciate past developments and reflect on the future direction of the legal profession,” he said.

He supported the review of the Constitution to ensure it remains relevant, noting that some past practices were no longer applicable today.

Professor Francis Botchway, Head of the Department of Law, said the initiative sought to highlight the importance of mentorship and learning from experienced professionals.

“We want to produce distinctive graduates who are highly sought after, and one way to achieve this is by exposing students to the experiences of those who have gone before,” he said.

Prof. Botchway said the programme also aimed to deepen students’ awareness of developments in Ghana and across Africa.

“About 50 per cent of our students are from other African countries, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone, so it is important they understand the broader environment in which they will operate,” he said.