Lawyer and former leader of the National Association of Law Students (NALS), has urged government to decentralise legal education to make for easy access.

Regina Amegah said this would prevent the annual Law School entrance examination impasse.

She explained that the decision of the General Legal Council in mandating only the Ghana Law School (GLS) to handle legal education in the country is the root cause of this “systemic problem”.

“I think the way to avert this problem is to decentralise professional legal education in the country”, she stated.

Speaking with Benjamin Akakpo on Joy Prime on Wednesday, the former NALS leader said, the issue has to be tackled from the root, which is making sure there are other schools in all parts of the country to handle professional legal education.

“The number of students entering the law school keeps increasing; limited facilities compel the Ghana Law School to admit low numbers which reflect in the tough marking scheme”, she added.

Only 790 out of the 2,824 candidates passed the 2021 Law School Entrance Exams which enabled them gain admission into the professional school.

https://youtu.be/QGA2PwqgFTw

According to the NALS, the figures represent nearly 25% decrease in the pass rate as compared to the 2020 academic year. NALS noted that this “systemic problem” must be of concern to all democracy watchers.

The National Association of Law Students (NALS) disclosed in a press release that some law students failed their entrance examinations not because they did not pass, but due to a preset intention to admit only 550 students.

The Association claims that 1,289 out of the 2,824 students who sat for the exams met the 50% pass mark yet, were excluded from the successful candidates.

Reacting to this, Madam Amegah reiterated that the best way out, is to reverse the monopoly of the Ghana Law School for professional legal education in the country.

According to her, this will allow students to attend other schools to reduce the pressure on the GLS.