Attorney General directs GLC to admit 499 LLB students
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Godfred Dame have intervened in the situation between the 499 students and Ghana School of law by calling on the General Legal Council to reconsider and grant admission to 499 who were initially denied entry into Ghana School of law.
In a letter addressed on the GLC, the Attorney General came up with diverse ways the students can also be admitted one of them being that the students can be admitted this year or in May 2022.
He explained that provision can be made for the organization of classes in a way to cater for the entire candidates of the part one course of professional law course.
In total there were three proposals the Attorney General made for the GLC’s consideration
“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.”
In the said letter dated November 1, 2021, the Attorney also suggested that the GLC can alternatively organize a special examination in November for the aggrieved students to justify their admission.
This follows a directive from Parliament to the General Legal Council to admit the disgruntled students, the Attorney General said the directive is unlawful.
The Attorney upon receipt of the information explained that Parliament cannot direct the GLC on processes for admission into the law school just by 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.
His utterance that practicing law is a privilege, and not a right which he made during the induction ceremony of new executives of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) earlier this week courted controversy.
“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.
The Minority in Parliament not enthused by what the Attorney General said has filed a motion asking the Speaker of Parliament to initiate a process for the House to pass a vote of censure against the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame.
According to the Minority, the Attorney General has refused to facilitate the admission of the 499 students.
The motion means that the Minority is seeking the removal of the Attorney General from office for supposedly undermining or disrespecting Parliament.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
