Admit 499 students into Law School - AG tells General Legal Council

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has advised the General Legal Council (GLC), to admit all the 499 students who passed the entrance exams but were denied admission into the Ghana School of Law (GSL).

In a letter dated November 1, 2021 and addressed to the Chairman of the GLC, Mr Dame said the admission process into the GSL was done in a manner which “created doubts about transparency.”

He therefore outlined three ways in which the admission of the 499 students into the GSL could be done.

Deferred admission

First, he said the students could be offered deferred admission in May 2022.

“A special provision can be made for the first year professional course by candidates already admitted to run from October 2021 to April 2022.

The 499 students may undertake their programme from May 2022 and ending in November 2022.

Arrangement will have to be put in place for the two sets of candidates to undertake their pupilage and be called to the Bar at a common date in the next two years,” the letter said.

Read also: 499 School of Law admissions: Parliament has no locus - Attorney-General contends

Admission now

The second advise from the A-G is for the GLC to admit all the 499 students now with effect from November 2021 with “provision made for the organisation of classes in a way as to be able to cater for the needs of the entire candidates of the Part course of the Professional Law Programme.”

Special admission

The third option from the AG is for the GLC to organise special admission examination for the students.

“This is to accord the 499 candidates an opportunity to justify admission into the Law School for the 2021/2022 academic year. Such examination may be on essay questions which properly asses the ability of the candidates to reason legally and resolve practical problems,” the letter added.

Petition

Mr Dame’s letter followed two separate petitions to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by the students.

The President directed the A-G to take action on the petitions.

The move by the A-G also comes on the back of the heels of a suit by the 499 students and a process by the Minority in Parliament to have the A-G removed through censure for allegedly failing to implement a motion by Parliament directing the GLC to admit the students.

In a response to the motion by Parliament, Mr Dame averred that the GLC was under the Executive and therefore Parliament had no locus to direct it as such.

Also, he said he was already working on the petition by the students as directed by President Akufo-Addo.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh