Admit them, every Ghanaian matters – Muntaka to GLC
Legislator for the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region has waded into the admission situation at the Ghana Law School pointing to them and the General Legal Council that studying law should not be the privilege of a select few.
All Ghanaians should be allowed to pursue legal education if it is their dream to do so.
His views are coming on the back of a resolution by Parliament on Friday that all LLB who were able to meet the schools pass mark of 50% in the law school entrance exams should be admitted, a decision both sides of the house supported.
Adding his voice to the topic of discussion in the house Alhaji Muntaka said “I know that there are a lot of institutions in this country that are very conservatives, but with the kind of problem we have as a country you cannot give a conservative position and expert to make progress.
“This idea, with the greatest respect to the former Chief Justice, that we won’t open up for anybody to become a lawyer. Who is anybody? Every Ghanaian matters just as your son and daughters. It is not the sons of lawyers and doctors or politicians or the influential that have the only right to be able to have access to any profession in this country. If they don’t know we must tell that they should go and admit everybody who has passed before the next academic year starts.”
For deputy majority leader Alexander Afenyo Markin, a refusal of the General Legal Council and the Ghana School of Law to obey the Parliaments resolution would amount to them acting in bad faith.
“We are telling the Ghana Law School that they continuously frustrating students, they are making the study of law unattractive. I know that the post-call students had started lectures, they started last week but for the Professional law they are starting next week,” he said on the floor of the House.
“It is not too late to admit them because they have passed,” he added.
He reiterated this by saying “For anybody who may think that they may exercise a discretion not to respect our directive, I will say, that will be in bad faith for them to fail to respect this directive of Parliament.
“We have a responsibility and we are simply re-echoing what they themselves have said publicly. That is why we added that yes, the learned Attorney General with oversight responsibility should ensure that they comply with the resolution passed by Parliament.
“If a body, recognized by law will refuse a resolution of Parliament then I think that body does not believe in the rule of law and I don’t think that is what the General Legal Council and Ghana School of Law will do. It has the Chief Justice as its head and we believe that he as Chair will take this in good faith and quickly take steps to address this.
“I will not want to go into the issue of contempt, whether if they fail we would have to take another step. We know that the constitution is clear on failing to comply with parliamentary orders but I don’t think we will get there’’
The LLB students who were deemed to have failed the entrance exams continue to seek redress at the Human Rights Court where the case presided over by Justice Nicholas Mensah Abodakpi was adjourned to November 9 at the request of the Attorney General to file certain processes.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
