Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, says the General Legal Council (GCL) is developing measures to build the capacities of institutions running Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree programmes.

In pursuance of this objective, he said, the authorities were working closely with the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to ensure the review and development of the curricula, method of instruction and the admission procedures of all approved universities running the LLB programme.

“All institutions offering the LLB programme will undergo a more rigorous screening process before they are approved.

The criteria for assessment will include the types of programmes, academic staff and qualifications, student ratio, library holdings, physical facilities among others”, he explained.    

Justice Anin-Yeboah, who was speaking at the launch of the 10th anniversary of the Kumasi Campus of the Ghana School of Law, indicated that more emphasis would be placed on areas relating to simulated practical work.

This is in respect of clinical work, moot courts, court room and simulated interviews and negotiation - to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of legal education in the country.

According to the Chief Justice, the Council was also restructuring operations of the independent examination committee to enable it to discharge its mandate more efficiently.

Justice Anin-Yeboah, who is also Chairman of the General Legal Council, explained that universities who satisfied the laid-down requirements would be given further approval to run the professional law course in the future under the overarching supervision of the Council.

The theme for the launch was: “Ten Years after the Kumasi Campus, What Next in Professional Legal Education.”    

Acting Director, Ghana Law School, Mr. Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, said the Kumasi Campus had come of age, and was now able to admit more students for legal education.

He indicated that the 2020/2021 academic year was admitting over 160 new students, and expressed gratitude to the KNUST for allowing them space on campus to increase their enrolment.