Introduction
Legal education in Ghana has long been a contentious and heavily debated aspect of the country’s educational and professional framework. Discussions surrounding access to professional legal training frequently dominated both traditional and social media, particularly during periods of admission into the professional law course.
Concerns ranged from the controversial entrance examinations into the Ghana School of Law to the limited number of students admitted annually despite the increasing number of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) graduates across the country.
At the centre of the controversy was the perception that legal education had become restrictive, overly centralised, and monopolistic. See this, this, this, and this for media reports on law students protesting against the law school admission process in the country.
For decades, the Ghana School of Law has remained the primary gateway to legal practice in Ghana, resulting in severe bottlenecks within the system. Thousands of qualified LL.B. graduates competed yearly for limited spaces in the professional law course, leading to growing public dissatisfaction and calls for reform.
Critics argued that the old system no longer reflected the realities of modern legal education. Student groups, academics, civil society organisations, and legal practitioners repeatedly demanded reforms that would expand access to professional legal training while preserving professional standards. Concerns were also raised about inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent academic standards, limited opportunities for practical legal training, and the need to decentralise professional legal education.
In response to these longstanding challenges, the government introduced a major reform through the passage of the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170). President John Dramani Mahama assented to the Bill on May 11, 2026, officially transforming it into law. The Act represents one of the most significant reforms of legal education in Ghana’s history and seeks to modernise, decentralise, and strengthen legal education and professional training nationwide.
Establishment of the Council for Legal Education and Training
One of the most significant reforms introduced under the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), is the establishment of the Council for Legal Education and Training under Section 1 of the law. The Council is created as a corporate body responsible for regulating, supervising, and maintaining standards in legal education and professional legal training across Ghana.
Per Section 2 of Act 1170, the Council is mandated to promote and maintain the highest standards of legal education and legal practice training. Among its major responsibilities are the accreditation of institutions offering professional legal education, monitoring compliance with legal education standards, evaluating legal qualifications, and ensuring that Ghana’s legal training remains comparable to standards in other common law jurisdictions.
The Council will work in collaboration with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to establish standards for accrediting institutions seeking to offer professional legal education and Law Practice Training programmes. It is also responsible for reviewing courses of study, supervising practical legal instruction, and ensuring continuous compliance with accreditation standards by accredited institutions.
The Act further provides for the funding of the Council through:
(a) monies approved by Parliament
(b) internally generated funds
(c) returns on investments
(d) loans and
(e) donations, grants, and gifts
Additionally, the Council’s accounts must be submitted annually to the Auditor-General for auditing, promoting transparency and accountability in the administration of legal education.
Standards for accreditation of institutions
Section 22 of Act 1170 introduces strict accreditation standards for institutions seeking to offer Law Practice Training programmes. These provisions are designed to ensure that only institutions with adequate infrastructure, academic capacity, and professional resources are permitted to train future lawyers.
Under Section 22(2) of Act 1170, institutions must possess adequate library facilities, including both physical and electronic law libraries stocked with Ghanaian and international law reports, legislation, journals, textbooks, and legal research materials. These resources must support teaching, learning, and research effectively.
Institutions must also demonstrate adequate physical infrastructure capable of supporting legal education. Lecture halls, classrooms, administrative offices, staff offices, and student learning spaces must all satisfy prescribed standards. The law permits shared facilities with other departments only where such arrangements do not disrupt academic activities, and students maintain reasonable access to the facilities.
In addition, institutions are required in Section 22(2)(b) to (g) to maintain sufficient administrative space, including offices for administrators, full-time lecturers, and lounge facilities for part-time teaching staff. Teacher-to-student ratios, technological resources, and qualified academic staff also form part of the accreditation assessment process.
Importantly, the Act prohibits any institution offering a Bachelor of Laws programme from providing Law Practice Training unless accredited by the Council. Institutions that violate this provision commit an offence and may face fines ranging from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand penalty units.
Accreditation process under the new regime
Section 23 of Act 1170 establishes a structured accreditation process for institutions seeking approval to offer professional legal education and training.
Institutions are required to formally apply to the Council and submit detailed information relating to:
(a) curriculum structure
(b) administrative arrangements
(c) teaching methodologies
(d) staffing and academic capacity
(e) infrastructure and facilities
(f) proof of compliance with statutory standards
Upon receipt of an application, the Council will constitute an Accreditation Committee to review the application, inspect the institution physically, and prepare a report on whether the institution satisfies the required standards.
Where an institution meets the preliminary requirements, it may be granted provisional accreditation for two years. During this period, the institution must continue demonstrating compliance before applying for full accreditation. Full accreditation, once granted, remains valid for three years, while subsequent reaccreditation may remain valid for five years.
The Act also requires accredited institutions to display their accreditation licences prominently at their registered offices, on their official websites, and on institutional letterheads. Furthermore, the Council may conduct periodic inspections to ensure continued compliance with accreditation standards.
Admission standards and academic regulations
The Legal Education Act, 2026, also introduces reforms relating to admissions, academic standards, and student assessment.
Under Section 45(3) of Act 1170, the Council is responsible for publishing the minimum entry requirements for admission into professional legal training programmes. It is also mandated to determine the required courses and credit hours necessary for obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree.
At the institutional level, accredited schools are required to formulate attendance policies that promote regular and punctual participation in academic activities. These policies must clearly specify sanctions for non-compliance.
The Act further requires institutions to establish standardised assessment systems that are fair, reliable, and transparent. Assessment methods must evaluate not only theoretical legal knowledge but also students’ ability to apply legal principles to practical legal problems.
Institutions are additionally required to adopt uniform grading standards that ensure accuracy, validity, reliability, and consistency in evaluating student performance. Scholastic performance standards may also be established to assess academic progress and dismiss persistently underperforming students in accordance with institutional regulations.
Expansion of law practice training
One of the most transformative aspects of the Legal Education Act, 2026, is the expansion and decentralisation of Law Practice Training in Ghana.
Historically, professional legal training was heavily concentrated within a limited institutional framework, creating significant barriers for many qualified LL.B. graduates. The new Act seeks to address this bottleneck by allowing accredited institutions to offer Law Practice Training programmes.
However, the law imposes strict regulatory safeguards to ensure that expansion does not compromise quality. Institutions must satisfy rigorous accreditation requirements before receiving authorisation to provide professional legal education.
The reforms are expected to increase access to legal education, reduce congestion within the professional training system, and create opportunities for more law graduates to qualify for legal practice in Ghana. At the same time, the accreditation framework seeks to preserve professional standards and protect the integrity of the legal profession.
Establishment of the Ghana School of Law as a directorate
Section 77 of Act 1170 establishes the Ghana School of Law as a directorate under the Council for Legal Education and Training.
The School will focus on the Post-Call Law Course, remedials for students who failed the National Bar Association and other professional programmes.
Challenges and future implications
Although the Legal Education Act, 2026, represents a major reform, significant implementation challenges remain. Questions continue to arise regarding whether institutions possess the financial resources, infrastructure, technological capacity, and qualified personnel necessary to satisfy the stringent accreditation requirements.
Concerns also exist regarding affordability, regulatory consistency, and the ability of the Council to effectively supervise multiple institutions nationwide. Some observers further worry that rapid expansion without careful monitoring could affect the quality of professional legal training.
Nevertheless, the passage of the Legal Education Act, 2026, marks a historic turning point in Ghana’s legal education system. The reforms seek to cure longstanding structural problems that have frustrated students, academics, and legal practitioners for decades.
Conclusion
Whether the reforms ultimately succeed will depend largely on effective implementation, regulatory oversight, and sustained commitment to maintaining high professional standards. However, there is little doubt that Ghana’s legal education system has entered a new and transformative era.
