Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh has suggested Parliament to go beyond passing a resolution to amend the Act that established the General Legal Council (GLC).
He said the GLC is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament and until the Act is amended, the resolution made for the body regarding legal education in Ghana will not be binding.
“I will welcome another look at that Act. It is Parliament’s own Act. These days, they have the right to initiate Private Members bill and I think that this will be a very candidate for such a Bill”.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh
Parliament on Friday October 29 resolved that all 499 LLB students who obtained 50 per cent pass mark in the law school entrance examinations should be admitted. The unanimous decision was arrived at by a voice votes in Parliament.
Professor Prempeh commenting on this said he is delighted to see Parliament weigh in on the matter because it is a long running battle and thinks that it is good to have the political class weigh in on it this way.
He indicated that Parliament makes decisions in a number of ways they can pass a bill, and if signed it becomes an Act of Parliament. He said it also operates by passing resolutions but however, some of the resolutions are binding and some are not binding.
Professor Prempeh said Parliament’s directive is one of the resolutions in the non binding category but it does register Parliament’s collective disapproval of the way and manner in which a statutory body like the GLC has been handling this matter of access to legal education.
“So, they should actually move beyond and put some bite behind their words. They can take another look at the legal profession Act or whichever act the GLC is established under and basically make the necessary amendments to that Act or enact a whole new law to regulate the legal profession. So, I think it is a good first step not binding but a good step”.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh
Parliament’s decision a laudable one
Also contributing to the discussion, Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu said the decision by Parliament yesterday, Friday October 29, 2021 is a laudable one and one that brought excitement.
He averred that the directive is one that should be used in subsequent admissions into the law school. He urged that measures to be put in place to ensure that the directive is adhered to.
“If the Ghana Legal Council thinks they have the sovereignty to do what they want, they should wait and see. When we get there, we will cross the bridge this time. But I believe the Attorney General in Parliament can play a role as the Minister of Justice and will do the needful”.
Peter Lanchene Toobu
The Parliament of Ghana has directed the General Legal Council (GLC) to admit the 499 students who were denied admissions into the Ghana School of Law despite making the 50 percent pass mark.
