Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo and Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, has expressed serious concerns over the interim directives issued by the Director of Legal Education, Professor Raymond Atuguba, regarding the implementation of the new Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170).
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, June 13, 2026, the MP described the transition arrangements as poorly planned and unnecessarily chaotic, saying many students and parents have been “plunged into this chaos of execution” through no fault of their own.
Who Is Affected?
According to the directive, two main groups of students are impacted by the reforms:
- Final-year LLB students graduating in 2026
- Backlog students – LLB graduates from previous years who have not yet gained admission into professional legal training.
New Two-Stage Pathway for 2026 Graduates
Under the new system, graduating LLB students will no longer proceed directly to professional legal training at the Ghana School of Law. Instead, they must first complete a Pre-Bar Course lasting up to one academic year at their respective universities.
The proposed Pre-Bar Course will cover theoretical subjects including:
- Company Law
- Commercial Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Family Law
- Interpretation of Deeds and Statutes
- Additional electives as required by the institution
Upon successful completion, universities will issue an attestation allowing students to proceed to the Law Practice Training (LPT) Programme, where they will study practical subjects such as Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Law of Evidence, Conveyancing and Drafting, Advocacy and Legal Ethics, and Law Practice Management.
The new journey to the Bar is now outlined as: LLB → Pre-Bar Course → Law Practice Training Programme → National Bar Examination → Call to the Bar.
Backlog Students
The old entrance examination system administered by the Independent Examinations Committee (IEC) has been abolished. Backlog students may now apply to any GTEC-accredited law faculty offering the Pre-Bar Course or directly to the Ghana School of Law. Once admitted, they will also complete the necessary theoretical courses before proceeding to the LPT Programme.
Major Concerns Raised by the MP
Hon. Assafuah highlighted several unresolved issues in the directive:
- Risk of Reintroducing Entrance Exams: The directive leaves admissions to the discretion of individual institutions. The MP questioned whether universities like KNUST could effectively reintroduce entrance-style examinations under a different name, potentially violating the spirit of the new Act and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Asare v. Attorney-General & General Legal Council (2017).
- Lack of Clarity on Course Exemptions: It remains unclear how universities will determine which theoretical courses backlog students have already completed and whether exemptions will be granted.
- Heavy Burden on Universities: The directive shifts significant implementation responsibilities — including classroom space, additional lecturers, IT systems, and administrative capacity — onto already stretched law faculties without a comprehensive national transition plan.
The MP described the process as “far messier than it ought to have been,” attributing the rushed nature partly to “reckless comments and interventions” that forced the hurried reforms.
Message to Students and Parents
In a message of solidarity, Hon. Assafuah urged students and parents to remain calm, study the directives carefully, and comply with the required processes. He pledged to continue seeking further clarity and to release a more comprehensive statement in the coming days addressing the legal, policy, and practical challenges of the new regime.
“I will work assiduously to seek further clarity on these matters and explore avenues through which stakeholders can help ease the burdens that these arrangements may impose,” he assured.
