The National Association of Law Students (NALS) has slammed the new procedure for admission to the Ghana School of Law.
The Association stated that the mode for the Professional Law Course of the Ghana School of Law for the 2022/2023 academic year, which was issued on the 8th of July 2022 by the Chairman of the Independent Examination Committee (IEC) of the General Legal Council (GLC) is illegal.
According to the Association, they are deeply saddened that, irrespective of the actual performance at the entrance exam, GLC is determined to continue to release poorer success rates, not because students underperform.
“But because the predetermined number of applicants to be admitted is 800 students out of 2,500 estimated applicants. This is captured in paragraph 1072, at page 202 of the 2022 budget statement presented to Parliament by the Finance Ministry.
“As a government policy-intent, to admit only 32% of prospective qualified candidates seeking to continue their study of law is most appalling and clearly very inexcusable,” the Association disclosed in a statement dated August 1, 2022.
The Association said it is deeply disappointed with the failure or refusal of the IEC/GLC to disclose or be transparent about the entrance examination minimum threshold mark that applicants are to attain for the GLC to offer them admission this year.
They referred to the Supreme Court decision in the landmark case of Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare v Attorney-General & GLC (WRIT NO. J1/1/2016), a 50% aggregated score has been the unhidden pass mark in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 pre-election, election and post-election year examinations.
“In light of the unfortunate and wrongful attempt to deny 499 successful applicants admission to the Ghana School of Law through a grading variation last year, we, law students, find this attempt to further obfuscate an already opaque process unsettling, especially at a time when we need to be fully focused on our studies for the exam.
“In addition to the refusal to disclose the pass mark, NALS has noted, with shock, the return of the infamous undertaking that prospective applicants are compelled to sign as a condition precedent to submitting an application by 7th September 2022 to sit the pending examination slated for 23rd September 2022.
“The form provides for each applicant to “undertake to accept without question, the decision of the General Legal Council in respect of the published results …as final.” NALS notes that this form or undertaking is alien to Regulation 3(a-b) of the Legal.
“Profession (Professional and Post Call Law Course) Regulations 2018 (LI 2355) as amended by LI 2427 and therefore same is patent breach of Articles 11(7), 23 and 296 of the 1992 Constitution. It will further be recalled that the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court, declared this undertaking as null, void and of no effect in the case of Prince Ganaku & 4 ORS v GLC (Suit no HR/008/2020). As a body operating under the auspices of one of the most important legal institutions in the country and comprised of some of the most competent legal.”
