The Committee tasked with investigating mass exams failures at the Ghana School of Law has called on the public to submit suggestions for enduring reforms.

The Justice Sophia Adinyirah-led committee is expected to investigate the causes of the steady decline in the pass rate in the Bar exams and profer solutions.

It will also make appropriate short, medium and long term recommendations.

Secretary to the General Legal Council (GLC), Cynthia Pamela Addo in a statement said the Council will ensure that only outstanding and internationally competitive lawyers are produced and would welcome written practical suggestions aimed at perfecting the current system.

”...the GLC would welcome written practical suggestions aimed at perfecting the current system. In the interest of the Ghanaian public, we remain committed to assuring access to quality professional legal services to all, through continuous improvement of legal education,” the statement said.

Read the full statement here.

President of the Students Representative Council, Emmanuel Kobby Amoah has welcomed the call.

“We are also happy that the general legal Council has taken steps to address our issues. Almost all our grievance was part of the petition that we presented to the General Legal Council. We are waiting for the reports and recommendations the committee will make and it is our prayer and hope that report addresses the current issues that we are facing,” he said.

Students of the Ghana School of Law had earlier petitioned Parliament to probe the issue and met the committee for Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs over same.

They called for a thorough review of the legal education system of the country.

Only 9% of the students are said to have passed the 2018 bar exam.

This was worse than the 2017 results which had more than 80% of students fail, as only 91 out of the over 500 candidates passed.

Almost 300 students had to repeat the entire course, whilst 170 students were referred.

At the time, many of the students blamed the Independent Examination Board for the mass failure whilst others blamed the existing curriculum.