Accra: A total of 19 accredited law faculties in Ghana have been authorized by the General Legal Council (GLC) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to offer both the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and the newly introduced pre-bar programs. This directive positions these institutions to lead the transition in the nation's legal education landscape, as they take on training responsibilities until the new Council for Legal Education and Training (CLET) becomes fully operational.
According to Ghana Web, the mandate allows these faculties to tackle the historical issues that left thousands of LLB graduates outside the professional training pipeline. By eliminating the traditional entrance examination, the faculties can now admit both current graduates and those in backlog into a one-year Pre-Bar Course starting in August or September 2026. This foundational course will enable the 19 schools, either independently or in collaboration with the Ghana School of Law, to deliver key theoretical subjects such as Company Law, Commercial Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
A statement from Prof. Raymond Atuguba, Director of the Ghana School of Law, emphasized that these Interim Policy Directives aim to ensure an orderly transition to the new legal education system, particularly for students graduating with an LLB this year. The directives also address the longstanding backlog of LLB graduates in Ghana. He urged for the immediate dissemination of these directives to stakeholders, including students, alumni, and university authorities, and stressed the importance of compliance monitoring.
The statement further clarified that admissions will be determined by each institution based on its internal academic rules, admission policies, capacity, and regulatory requirements. Backlog students admitted under this new arrangement will complete the necessary foundational theoretical courses before moving on to the practical requirements of the Legal Practice Training (LPT) Programme, in line with the new legal education framework.
The universities authorized to run these programs are: Accra Metropolitan University, Ashesi University, Central University, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Greenfield College, KAAF University College, Kings University College, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Lancaster University, Mountcrest University, Pentecost University, Presbyterian University, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), University of Cape Coast, University for Development Studies (UDS), University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Wisconsin International University College, and Zenith University College.