Lawyer Kwame Adofo has defended Ghana’s new Legal Education Bill, describing it as a necessary reform that removes structural barriers preventing qualified law graduates from entering the profession.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (27 March), Adofo argued that the previous system unfairly restricted access due to capacity constraints at the Ghana School of Law.
“The problem is simple — people qualify with LLB degrees but cannot enter the law school because there is no space,” he said.
Opportunities: Access and system efficiency
Adofo said the reform opens up professional legal training beyond a single institution, eliminates artificial bottlenecks in legal qualification and reduces the need for students to seek training abroad
He noted that many Ghanaian students previously spent scarce foreign exchange studying in countries like The Gambia and Nigeria due to limited local opportunities.
“This reform will stop that,” he said.
Implications: Shift in training philosophy
Adofo emphasised that legal education should distinguish between academic training (LLB) and practical training (law practice skills)
According to him, once a student earns an LLB, they are already academically qualified.
“What remains is training in how to practice law,” he explained.
He suggested that practical skills could be integrated into university training systems rather than confined to a single institution.
Risks dismissed: Quality concerns overstated
Adofo rejected claims that decentralisation would reduce quality.
“If you pass the exam, you pass. Quality is determined by performance, not location,” he argued.
He proposed that weak universities should lose accreditation and LLB standards should be strengthened instead of restricting access.
Adofo expressed optimism that the reform aligns Ghana with global models, citing systems in countries like Australia where legal training is decentralised.
“This is thinking outside the box — and it is the right direction,” he said.
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