Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai, has defended the introduction of the Pre-Bar Course under Ghana’s new legal education framework, insisting that the programme should not be misconstrued as an additional obstacle for aspiring lawyers.
According to him, the Pre-Bar Course represents an essential transitional arrangement designed to facilitate the smooth implementation of the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), which seeks to transform professional legal training in Ghana.
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice’s comments come at a time when the country’s legal education system is undergoing one of its most far-reaching reforms in decades.
The changes are expected to expand access to professional legal training, abolish the long standing entrance examination system, and provide fresh opportunities for thousands of Bachelor of Laws graduates seeking admission to the Bar.
Two Objectives of Act 1170
Explaining the rationale behind the reforms, Dr Srem Sai stated that Act 1170 was enacted to achieve two key objectives aimed at improving professional law training.
“Act 1170 aims at improving professional law training. It has two steps for achieving this aim. The first is to, upfront, abolish the monopoly of the Ghana School of Law over professional law training. The Act has achieved that”.
Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai
He explained that the second objective is to establish a more efficient and democratized system that permits accredited universities to offer professional legal training to eligible students.
“The Act’s second step is to establish a more efficient and democratised regime which allows accredited universities to offer professional law training to eligible students. The process for achieving this second aim of the Act has started”.
Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai
Why the Transition Is Necessary
While the new framework promises broader access to legal education, Dr Srem Sai emphasized that a transition period is required before the new regime can become fully operational.
According to him, the transition arrangements provided for under the Act are intended to address the needs of current LLB students who are expected to graduate before the commencement of the new regime, as well as graduates who have completed their studies but have been unable to proceed with professional training.
“There is, however, a need for a transition from the old regime to the new. This transition, as provided for in the Act, is in respect of current LLB students who will graduate before the start of the new regime and those who have already graduated and have been waiting.”
Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai
Understanding the Pre-Bar Course
Dr Srem Sai said the Pre-Bar Course serves as a practical mechanism to ensure that affected students can make progress while the broader reforms are being implemented.
He noted that the subjects covered under the Pre-Bar Course are not new requirements introduced outside the legal education framework. Rather, they are courses students would ordinarily have undertaken once the new regime commenced.
The Deputy Attorney General stressed that the arrangement is intended to save students time and ensure a smoother transition into the new system.
Addressing concerns that the Pre-Bar Course could unnecessarily prolong the journey to legal practice, Dr Srem Sai clarified that the courses completed during the transition period would count toward future professional legal training requirements.
“These subjects, when taken, will be credited to them when they eventually enrol in the new regime to take the national bar exam,” he explained. The clarification is expected to reassure law graduates who have expressed uncertainty about how the transition measures would affect their professional aspirations.
Broader Reforms to Expand Access
The introduction of the Pre-Bar Course forms part of wider legal education reforms initiated under Act 1170. The reforms have abolished the entrance examination regime previously administered by the Independent Examinations Committee.
Policy documents indicate that between 3,000 and 4,000 LLB graduates sat the examination annually, with only a limited number securing admission into professional legal training.
The result was a backlog estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 graduates who remained unable to progress toward legal practice despite obtaining their law degrees.
Interim directives issued by Director of Legal Education, Professor Raymond Atuguba, have since outlined a framework to guide the transition while the Council for Legal Education and Training is being established.
Under the emerging framework, accredited universities will eventually assume greater responsibility for delivering professional legal training, subject to meeting prescribed accreditation standards.
For many aspiring lawyers, the reforms represent more than an administrative adjustment. They offer renewed hope of a legal education system that is more accessible while maintaining the standards required of Ghana’s legal profession.
As implementation progresses, attention will focus on how effectively the transition measures achieve their intended purpose of expanding opportunity without compromising quality.
For the Deputy Attorney General, however, the central message remains unchanged: the Pre Bar Course is not a new barrier, but a necessary bridge to a reformed and more inclusive legal education system.
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