The General Legal Council (GLC) says reports that lawyers will soon be required to write examinations before renewal of their licenses are untrue. 

The GLC said no such directive has been given, and wants such reports disregarded.

“The attention of the General Legal Council has been drawn to the erroneous reportage on some media platforms of His Lordship the Chief Justice’s speech given at the enrolment ceremony of 196 Lawyers called to the Bar on Friday, 5th May 2023.

“There was no mention of lawyers being required to write examinations at all before a renewal of license and indeed no such amendment to the Law is about to be made,” excerpts of the GLC’s statement issued on Monday, May 8, 2023 said. 

The Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is reported to have said lawyers will write exams before their licenses are renewed.

However, the General Legal Council has explained what the Chief Justice said. 

According to the Council, the Continuing Professional Development the Chief Justice spoke about is standard requirement in some jurisdictions. 

“Continuing Professional Development before the renewal of a practising licence, is a standard requirement in some jurisdictions around the world. 

This practice is aimed at sharpening the skills of lawyers and keeping them abreast with recent developments in the Law for the benefit of the clients they serve,” the statement clarified. 

GLC has thus allayed the fears of lawyers and the public of the said reports.

“The public and lawyers are hereby informed of the misrepresented reportage and the correction thereof accordingly,” the statement concluded.