Ghana has taken a major step toward reforming its legal education system following the passage of the Legal Education Bill, 2025, a move expected to significantly expand access to the legal profession and address the country’s growing demand for lawyers.

Speaking after the bill’s approval, Shaibu Mahama, Chairman of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Daboya-Mankarigu, described the legislation as a “transformational milestone” for legal education in Ghana.

The new law allows accredited universities across the country to offer professional law programmes, enabling graduates to sit for a centralized National Bar Examination. This marks a departure from the current system, where admission to the Ghana School of Law has been highly competitive and limited in capacity.

According to Mahama, the reform is designed to eliminate long-standing bottlenecks that have left more than 6,000 law graduates unable to progress into professional training.

“This new framework ensures fairness and transparency,” he noted, adding that all qualified students will now have the opportunity to pursue legal practice through a standardized national examination.

The bill also establishes the Council for Legal Education and Training, which will oversee accreditation of institutions, set curriculum standards, and administer the bar examination. The model draws inspiration from global professional certification systems such as Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and Institute of Chartered Accountants, where multiple institutions prepare candidates for a unified qualifying exam.

Ghana currently faces a significant shortage of legal professionals, with an estimated ratio of one lawyer to every 7,000 citizens. With the population now at approximately 35 million, demand for legal services continues to rise, particularly following decentralization efforts that have increased the need for lawyers in local governance structures and public institutions.

Mahama emphasised that the bill will help bridge this gap by enabling more institutions to train lawyers while maintaining quality through rigorous national standards.

“This reform is not just about numbers; it is about ensuring equitable access and strengthening the justice delivery system,” he said.

The passage of the Legal Education Bill, 2025, is widely seen as a bold and necessary reform that could reshape Ghana’s legal landscape, improve access to justice, and enhance the country’s competitiveness within the region.