By Collins Sarkodieh 
President John Dramani Mahama has officially signed the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, into law, marking a historic shift in how lawyers are trained in Ghana. This landmark legislation effectively ends the 66-year monopoly held by the Ghana School of Law (Makola) over professional legal education, allowing other accredited universities to offer professional law courses.
For decades, the “Makola bottleneck” has been a source of intense frustration for thousands of aspiring lawyers. Under the old system, the Ghana School of Law was the only institution authorized to provide the professional training required to be called to the Bar. The new law decentralizes this power, promising to increase the number of qualified legal professionals while maintaining strict regulatory standards.
This reform is not just about increasing numbers; it is about modernizing the legal profession to meet the demands of a growing economy. By opening up the space to other qualified institutions, the government aims to foster competition, improve the quality of tuition, and make legal education more accessible to students across all regions of Ghana.
Why did Ghana end the 66-year monopoly on professional legal education?
The government ended the monopoly to address the chronic admission crisis at the Ghana School of Law and to modernize the legal training framework. For years, the limited capacity at the Makola campus led to mass failures and the exclusion of thousands of qualified LLB holders from becoming practitioners.
This reform follows years of advocacy from student unions, legal scholars, and civil society groups who argued that the centralized system was archaic. The monopoly, established in 1958, simply could not keep up with the explosion of interest in the legal profession. By decentralizing, Ghana aligns its legal education with international best practices seen in countries like the UK and Nigeria.
Beyond capacity, the reform seeks to introduce diverse teaching methodologies. When only one school dictates the curriculum and pedagogy, there is little room for innovation. Now, accredited universities can develop specialized programs that cater to emerging fields like energy law, technology law, and international arbitration, provided they meet the General Legal Council’s (GLC) standards.
How does the Legal Education Reform Act, 2025, benefit law students?
The new law benefits students by providing multiple pathways to professional certification and reducing the geographic and financial burden of moving to Accra. Students can now choose from various accredited universities across the country to complete their professional law course, leading to a more competitive and student-centered environment.
Previously, a student from Kumasi or Tamale had to relocate to Accra or one of the few satellite campuses of the Ghana School of Law, often at a high cost. With decentralization, major regional universities that meet the stringent criteria can now offer the same professional training. This saves students money and allows them to learn in environments they are already familiar with.
Furthermore, the increased competition among institutions is expected to drive down tuition costs and improve facilities. Schools will now have to prove their value to attract the best students. This shift from a “take-it-or-leave-it” monopoly to a merit-based, multi-provider system is a massive win for student rights and academic freedom.
What role will the General Legal Council (GLC) play in the new system?
The General Legal Council (GLC) will transition from being a direct provider of education to a strictly regulatory body that oversees accreditation and national bar examinations. While they will no longer have a monopoly on teaching, they will retain the final say on who is fit to be called to the Bar through a unified Ghana Bar Examination.
This shift ensures that despite the decentralization of teaching, the standards of the legal profession remain high. The GLC will set the criteria for universities wanting to offer the professional course, conducting regular audits of their faculty, libraries, and moot court facilities. If a school fails to meet these standards, its accreditation can be revoked.
By focusing on regulation rather than administration, the GLC can better address issues like ethical standards and continuing legal education for practicing lawyers. This separation of “teaching” and “examining” is a critical component of the reform, designed to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest and ensure a fair playing field for all candidates.
Factual Insights into Ghana’s Legal Education History:
- The 1958 Legacy: The Ghana School of Law was established in 1958 by the Legal Profession Act, becoming the sole provider of professional legal training for over six decades.
- Admission Bottlenecks: In recent years, it was common for over 70% of applicants to fail the entrance exams to the Ghana School of Law due to limited physical and faculty capacity.
- The New Law: The Legal Education Reform Act, 2025, was signed into law on May 10, 2026, officially opening the sector to private and public universities.
- Unified Exams: Despite multiple teaching institutions, every student must still pass the Ghana Bar Examination, administered by an independent National Independent Examination Body.
- Accreditation Rigor: Universities must undergo a rigorous three-tier vetting process by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the GLC before offering professional courses.
- Regional Balance: The reform specifically targets the establishment of at least one professional law center in the Northern, Middle, and Coastal belts of the country.
Will the quality of lawyers in Ghana drop under the new law?
The quality of lawyers is expected to stay the same or improve because the General Legal Council maintains control over a single, national qualifying examination. Even though students will study at different universities, they must all pass the same rigorous bar exam to be licensed, ensuring a uniform standard of excellence.
Critics of the bill often argued that “diluting” the education pool would lead to poor standards. However, the experience in other jurisdictions shows that decentralization actually improves standards because it allows for smaller class sizes and more personalized instruction. A student in a class of 50 at an accredited university may receive better mentorship than one in a lecture hall of 500.
The GLC’s new role as a “quality gatekeeper” is the safeguard against any drop in standards. By strictly monitoring the bar exam’s difficulty and the universities’ adherence to the curriculum, the council ensures that only those truly prepared for the rigors of the courtroom are admitted. In fact, more competition usually breeds better results.
The signing of the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, is a victory for progress over tradition. President Mahama’s decision to break the 66-year monopoly of the Ghana School of Law is a bold move that recognizes the realities of the 21st century. It replaces a system of exclusion with a system of opportunity, all while keeping the “quality control” switch firmly in the hands of the GLC.
As the first batch of students prepares to enroll in decentralized professional programs, the eyes of the legal world will be on Ghana. This reform is a testament to what can happen when a nation chooses to evolve. For the thousands of students who have dreamed of wearing the wig and gown, the doors of the courtroom have never been wider.
Also Read: Educational Stability Restored: GETFund Releases GH¢199.47 Million to Clear FSHS and TVET Arrears