Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has called for urgent and meaningful reform in Ghana’s legal education system, describing the current moment as a critical turning point for the future of the legal profession.
Speaking during the enrolment of 824 new lawyers in Accra on Friday October 10, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said his appointment comes “at a defining moment — a season both for reflection and urgent reform in legal education in our beloved Ghana.”
He acknowledged the growing challenges facing legal education in the country, including a mounting backlog of aspiring law students seeking admission to the Ghana School of Law, questions about educational quality, inadequate infrastructure, and the urgent need to modernize in an era of rapid technological change.
“But challenges must not be seen as signs of decay but banks of renewal. The challenges we face today are the very light that must illuminate our path forward,” he added.
The Acting Chief Justice also addressed the growing national debate around legal education, noting that “the airwaves are already thick with the news of reforms, as hope and frustration for the aspiring lawyer intermingle in equal measure.”
He urged the Ghana School of Law, under the direction of the General Legal Council and in collaboration with stakeholders, to embrace the moment and act decisively.
“The reforms we pursue must go beyond merely increasing student numbers,” he stressed. “We must refine the very purpose of legal education to meet the demands of the 21st century.”
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