Law School is a constitutional right, not a privilege – Sosu replies Attorney General

• Madina MP counters AG’s claim of legal education not being a right

• Godfred Yeboah Dame has recently stated that legal education and practise is a privilege

• Xavier-Sosu and Rockson Defeamekpor have commenced processes to change legal education laws

A Member of Parliament pushing for the expansion of legal education in Ghana,

Read full articlehref='/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=3803'>Francis-Xavier Sosu, has countered a statement by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for stating that legal education is a privilege.

The AG speaking at the induction of new executives of the Ghana Bar Association noted that the opportunity to study and practice law has never been a right but a privilege that comes with an obligation.

“Mr. President and new executives, you owe a duty to drive home the point that the practice of law is not a right, it is a privilege. Along with it comes a moral obligation and a legal duty to uphold the dignity of the profession to ensure that the privileged call to the bar is not abused through unprincipled and disreputable conduct,” he advised.

But responding to the AG who further bemoaned the standard of ethics in the legal practice, the Member of Parliament for Madina who is also a legal practitioner said studying law is a right guaranteed by the constitution to Ghanaians who are qualified.

“Law School is not a privilege, it is a constitutional right for every qualified Ghanaian. Articles 37 and 38 of our Constitution requires the State to provide adequate educational facilities to guarantee equal access and opportunities to ‘life long education’ without limits,” he shared in a Twitter post sighted by GhanaWeb.

The MP’s comment is at the back of renewed calls for an expansion in Ghana’s legal education following the release of the Ghana School of Law 2021 entrance exams result.

With accusations of the General Legal Council deliberately working to limit admissions into the Ghana School of Law, Sosu and his colleague Minority MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor have commenced processes to effect changes in Ghana’s legal education setup.

Among other things, the MPs want a new bill that will cause the exclusion of the Chief Justice and justices of the Supreme Court from the body responsible for the management and regulation of legal education in the country tabled before parliament.

“Sir, we write to request the legislating drafting office to draft for subsequent submission to the Speaker, a bill to amend the Legal Professions Act 1960 Act 32 to exclude the Chief Justice as well as other justices of the Supreme Court from the GLC to redefine the functions of the GLC and to provide for reforms in legal education such that accredited Faculties of law with the requisite facilities would be licensed to run professional law courses, provide for discipline of lawyers and related matters to give effect to Articles 37(1) of the 1992 constitution,” the two stated in a recent memo addressed to the clerk of parliament.