The Ghana School of Law has graduated 47 students who took its Criminal Prosecution and Litigation (CPL) course this year.
The graduates, drawn from security and law enforcement institutions, including the Police Service, intelligence agencies and other security organisations, completed the six-month course that aimed to equip professionals involved in criminal investigations and prosecutions with advanced legal skills.
They formed the third batch of graduates who took the course.
The ceremony, which took place on the school’s premises in Accra last Friday brought together officials from the Ghana School of Law, representatives of security and law enforcement agencies, members of the legal fraternity, faculty, resource persons, graduating participants and invited guests.
Capacity
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director of Legal Education and Director of the Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Akongburo Atuguba, said the course formed part of efforts by the Ghana School of Law to expand professional development opportunities for justice sector actors and improve the quality of criminal justice administration in the country.
The course had strengthened participants’ understanding of criminal law and procedure, rules of evidence and courtroom advocacy, enabling them to better serve their respective institutions.
“Every investigation conducted professionally, every charge preferred responsibly and every prosecution undertaken fairly contributes not only to the conviction of the guilty but also to the protection of the innocent and the confidence of the public in our justice system,” he said.
Prof. Atuguba also said criminal justice professionals required more than knowledge of statutes and procedures, adding that fairness, integrity and sound judgment were equally important in the administration of justice.
He then encouraged the graduates to embrace continuous professional development, describing lifelong learning as essential for professionals working in criminal justice.
New programmes
Prof. Atuguba further announced that the Ghana School of Law had arranged an intensive one-week comparative prosecutorial practice programme at Columbia Law School in New York for members of the graduating class in June next year.
That programme, he explained, would expose participants to international trends in criminal justice administration, prosecutorial ethics and best practices from other jurisdictions.
“It is intended to broaden perspectives and enrich the practical experiences you have gained here,” Prof. Atuguba said.
The director also announced that the Ghana School of Law would begin its pre-Bar Vocational Course in September this year following the enactment of the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170).
He said the course would create a new pathway for professional legal training under Ghana’s reformed legal education framework.
Prof. Atuguba said the School remained the natural institution to deliver the programme because of its decades of experience in professional legal education and its role in training generations of lawyers.
