The Deputy Ranking Member on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee says the campuses available for students to study law in the country are inadequate.

According to Francis Xavier Sosu, as society is growing, there is a need to train more people who are willing, able and ready to study law so they could get onto the market and take up the growing cases.

Speaking on Top Story, he said that “today, the lawyer to client ratio is about 1 to over 7000. So we must open up, we must grow, I think the rate of opening up is too slow."

Mr Sosu added that “the campuses available (to study law) is still inadequate. What I am blaming on the GLC (General Legal Council) is the lack of leadership that will open up law schools so that we can create more access to law schools.”

Previously, students could only study at the University of Ghana for a law degree (LLB). However, following some revisions, KNUST and GIMPA have become qualified institutions for students to get a law degree. After studying in these institutions, students write the entrance exam before they are enrolled at the Ghana School of Law at Makola for the professional course.

But, Mr Sosu believes these three other institutions are not enough to accommodate the growing number of people who want to pursue a career as lawyers.

This comes after the National Association of Law Students (NALS) hit the streets of Accra to demonstrate over the Ghana School of Law entrance exams failures.

The aggrieved candidates are accusing the General Legal Council (GLC) of being responsible for their inability to gain admission following a new quota system.

The pass mark for the entrance exams has always been 50% in two sections, but for this year’s exams, the rule has been changed, so candidates have to score at least 50% in both sections.

Clad in red and black attire the group converged at the Black Star Square in Accra on Wednesday, October 20. They hoisted placards with inscriptions expressing their displeasure.

They made a stop at Parliament House, where they presented a petition to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who received it on behalf of the Speaker.

Mr Sosu believes it is the unfair leadership at the GLC that is creating a system where only a few select can have the opportunity to study law while the majority are excluded.

“We need more drastic action as far as this matter is concerned. I think that beyond sympathising with these students, the point is that the 499 students who went on demonstrate today have qualified to be in law school and they must be admitted.”

He added that “if it means that we need to run shifts to get them in there then we must do all that and put in all the measures to make sure that we can get them admitted.”