Private legal practitioner Alexander Abban has defended recent reforms to Ghana’s legal education system, arguing that the current structure anchored by the monopoly of the Ghana School of Law is “anachronistic” and no longer fits present-day realities.
Speaking on The Big Bulletin with Fritz Delanyo Amegashie on Monday (11 May), Abban supported the newly signed law opening up professional legal training, insisting that the original purpose of the Ghana School of Law was practical training—not exclusive gatekeeping.
He traced the origins of legal training in Ghana, arguing that the system was designed at a time when local capacity was limited.
“The Ghana School of Law was established for practical training of lawyers. Over the years, the numbers have expanded so much that the system has now become anachronistic,” he said.
Abban argued that legal education should not remain concentrated in a single institution, pointing to systems in the United States where law faculties prepare students academically, while licensing is handled separately.
According to him, in jurisdictions such as the US, legal graduates independently prepare for bar examinations set by regulatory bodies rather than passing through a single professional school.
He said Ghana should consider restricting the role of the General Legal Council to examinations and professional regulation, rather than controlling access through a centralised training institution.
Abban further argued that expanding professional legal training to more universities would not necessarily reduce standards, provided accreditation and examination systems remain strong.
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