The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy National Communications Officer, Godwin Ako Gunn is calling on the Ghana Government to expand facilities of law schools in the country to accommodate more students.
He noted that the facility at the Ghana School of Law, Makola could only take 790 persons, and not that the others failed, hence the call.
The 2021 Ghana School of Law entrance exams saw 28% of the LLB candidates gain entrance to Ghana’s only institution for training lawyers.
790 out of 2,824 candidates passed the exam organised earlier this year.
The pass rate is in line with previous years, except for 2020, where 1,045 students out of 2,763 passed the entrance examination.
In 2019, only 128 candidates out of a total of 1,820 passed the exam.
In 2017, 500 students were admitted into the School, with 450 students admitted in 2016.
The poor pass rate has in the past sparked calls for a reform of legal education in Ghana.
Critics have said the General Legal Council deliberately restricts people from gaining access to legal education.
Admission to the Ghana School of Law for professional legal education requires that successful candidates obtain a minimum rank of 50%.
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Speaking with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, Godwin Ako Gunn said,”You can do well but if someone beats you with 0.01 points and they get the 790, you are out of it. It is not because you are not intelligent or you did not pass,” he said.
He said that, “I do not understand why till now it is only Makola which accommodates law students. I know somebody who tried twice or thrice and did not get, he went to The Gambia to do it there and he has completed and is back to Ghana. Even practicing.
Godwin Ako Gunn continued that, “Some of the bad side of it is that in Gambia, some our lecturers who fail students in Ghana go to teach them and pass them there.”
He therefore stated that, “If this same school of law is opened in the Ashanti Region or another campus is opened in Accra, or if we can expand these ones that are already established, take in more lecturers, take in more students, it will help. People are willing to pay and go, let us open it up,” he said.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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