Godfred Dame, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice has petitioned the General Legal Council to admit the 499 students who were previously refused entrance to the Ghana School of Law.
The Attorney General advised in a letter to the GLC that the students be accepted in November this year or in May 2022.
According to him, provisions may be established for the arrangement of courses in such a manner that they accommodate all applicants for the professional law school’s part one course.
According to a copy of the letter, the Attorney General made three recommendations, including
“Grant deferred admission to the 499 candidates with effect from May 22. A special provision can be made for the first-year professional law course by candidates already admitted to run from October 2021 to April 2022. The 499 candidates may undertake their program from May 2022 and ending November 2022. Arrangements would have to be put in place for the two sets of candidates to undertake their pupilage and be called to the bar at a common date in the next two years.”
Additionally, the Attorney General’s November 1, 2021 letter said that the GLC may hold a special test in November for the aggrieved students to defend their admission.
The Attorney General said that a direction from parliament to the General Legal Council to accept the aggrieved students is unlawful.
Parliament, the Office argues, cannot influence the GLC’s admissions procedures only via a resolution.
“Whilst recognizing the general legislative powers of Parliament in Ghana, except as has been circumscribed by the Constitution, I am constrained to advise that Parliament is devoid of power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law”, a statement from the AG’s office mentioned.
Recently, Godfred Dame sparked controversy by stating that practicing law is a privilege, not a right.
He made the remarks at the Ghana Bar Association’s (GBA) induction event earlier this week.
“Mr. President and new executives, you owe a duty to drive home the point that the practice of law is not a right, it is a privilege. Along with it comes a moral obligation and a legal duty to uphold the dignity of the profession to ensure that the privileged call to the bar is not abused through unprincipled and disreputable conduct,” he advised.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has submitted a motion requesting that the Speaker initiate the required procedures for the House to vote on a resolution of censure against Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Dame.
They feel the Attorney General has refused to enable the 499 students’ admission.
The motion effectively seeks the Attorney General’s removal from office for supposedly undermining or disrespecting Parliament.
Read Also: Anti-LGBTQ bill: Parliament to begin public hearing today
