'Ghana Legal Council has outlived its usefulness' – Lawyer
Chief Justice (CJ) Kwasi Anin-Yeboah
• Law students sue Ghana Legal Council and Attorney General
Read full article • Parliament has proven they represent the people, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo
• The House said the GLC is making the law practice unattractive
A private legal practitioner, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, is calling for the scrapping out of the Ghana Legal Council (GLC) as he believes it has created more problems than provided solutions.
According to him, the body has outlived its usefulness because he believes the body only stands to regulate the legal profession and education in Ghana.
According to an Assaseradio.com report, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo said Justices should not be involved in the administrative structure of the Council when it comes to the examinations and admission of law students.
“I am very impressed by Parliament and it has shown that they are for the people. We have had too many problems with the GLC when it comes to issues of admissions and exams. It’s about time that institution is dissolved.
“We shouldn’t have our judges involved in administrative issues when it comes to issues of exams and admissions, it is not done. Our judges should be restricted to issues of judicial matters. If we want to regulate matters concerning the bar the GBA or anybody or party could be set up to do so.
“They are a creature of statute and if at the end of the day Parliament thinks that they’ve outlived their usefulness just like we amend or repeal laws, that law can be repealed and replaced by another body. We’re having too many problems with this particular body. The body has outlived its usefulness. After all, they have only two functions – regulations of the legal profession and legal education," he said on Asaase Radio in reaction to Parliament latest resolution to the GLC to admit some law students.
He added that he was impressed with parliament for passing a resolution for GLC to compel the Ghana Law School to admit the 499 students who sat for the 2021 entrance exams and passed in accordance with the marking scheme as advertised.
This action he believes has “shown that they are for the people.
“I have been emphatic in my position that it was an unquestionable act on the part of the General Legal Council to have advertised a particular method of admission and then after parties have taken the exams you changed the rules to basically limit the number of people to be taken. Our law frowns on administrative arbitrariness and capriciousness,” he said.
Meanwhile, the 499 students who were denied entrance into the Ghana Law School are in court challenging the decision arguing the marking scheme as advertised was changed after their exams.
They have since sued the General Legal Counsel and the Attorney General.
