Managing Partner of Law Plus Attorneys, Dennis Adjei Dwomoh, asserts that lawyers will continue to dominate leadership and public office in Ghana.

According to him, there is a prevalent belief among Ghanaian leaders that becoming a lawyer is a gateway to leadership and a qualification for ministerial positions.

In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, Mr. Dwomoh explained that while many individuals are qualified to be lawyers, our leaders have taken over the legal profession.

"We refer to democracy as 'Talk make I talk.' If the understanding of the Ghanaian democracy is about talking, who best is placed to talk better than a lawyer? As it is now the majority of leadership is from lawyers and to the extent that you have your full-time minister going to a full-time Law school because he has acknowledged that having a lawyer as a tool will help me to become a better minister.”

He noted that legal training equips individuals with skills that are highly valued in our democratic system, which often emphasises the ability to articulate and debate effectively.

He stressed that the majority of leadership positions are currently occupied by lawyers, to the extent that some full-time ministers are enrolling in law school, recognising that legal expertise can enhance their ministerial performance.

Mr Dwomoh emphasised that legal training not only involves solving legal problems but it also prepares individuals to serve the nation effectively.

He proposed that legal education should include a component of public leadership training, given that some individuals may excel in corporate leadership but lack the skills needed for public service.

He stated, “AI is coming, how does AI impact our constitutional law, how does AI impact criminal law? The word deepfake is coming where I can just take your picture and make a whole voice around you and make it seem like you talking. New developments are coming, how do we prepare the lawyer in leadership to understand it?”

Dwomoh also criticised the current system where ministers spend a large portion of their time receiving visitors, leaving them little time to engage with substantive issues.

He observed that the electoral process often involves malpractices, such as paying delegates, even before assuming office.

“You go to the minister's office, full time receiving visitors, they don’t even have time to read, we have democracy where you have to pay delegates before you become elected so before you even come into power you are engaged in electoral malpractices before you can get into leadership in this country."

Mr Dwomoh cited data showing the majority of ministers are lawyers, or aspire to become lawyers, believing that legal training equips them to solve national problems.