National bar exam to replace Ghana School of Law admissions

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced a major shake-up of Ghana’s legal education system, revealing plans to eliminate the Ghana School of Law’s current admissions process and introduce a national bar examination.

Unveiled during the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House on Monday, July 28, 2025, the reform is part of a new legal education bill expected to be laid before Cabinet in August.

The initiative aims to decentralise professional legal training and make legal practice more accessible to all qualified LLB graduates. Under the proposed model, LLB holders from accredited institutions will complete a one-year Bar Practice Programme at their universities, after which they will sit a standardised national bar exam to qualify as lawyers.

“The bill will abolish the Ghana School of Law system,” Dr. Ayine stated. “Universities will be empowered to provide practical legal education, and students will qualify through a national bar exam similar to the model used by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.”

The announcement follows years of public frustration over the restrictive nature of Ghana’s legal education pipeline. Many LLB graduates have been unable to gain entry into the Ghana School of Law despite holding qualifying degrees.

Dr. Ayine emphasized that the reform shifts the system from exclusion to inclusion.

“Our goal is to provide a clear, merit-based path to the legal profession for all qualified LLB holders,” he said.

He also noted that the final draft of the legal education bill was submitted to his deputy, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, on July 27, ahead of its formal submission to Cabinet.