Member of Parliament for Old Tafo and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah

The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has raised concerns over Ghana’s newly introduced legal education framework, warning that current admission arrangements could indirectly reintroduce the very entrance examination system Parliament sought to abolish.

His comments come after the Director of Legal Education, Professor Raymond Atuguba, issued interim directives under the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), which replaces the former Independent Examinations Committee (IEC) entrance examination with a new multi-stage training pathway for prospective lawyers.

Under the revised system, LLB graduates will be required to undertake a Pre-Bar Course, followed by a Law Practice Training Programme, sit for a National Bar Examination, and ultimately qualify for call to the Bar.

However, Mr Assafuah has questioned how admission into the Pre-Bar Course will be managed, noting that the directive allows institutions to determine entry based on their own academic rules, capacity and regulatory considerations.

In a statement issued on Saturday, June 13, 2026, the MP said this flexibility could create inconsistencies across institutions and potentially reintroduce entrance-style screening processes under a different label.

He cited the example of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where admission into the LLB programme is already conducted through an entrance examination, arguing that similar practices could emerge for the Pre-Bar stage.

“If KNUST or any other institution chooses to apply a similar admission model for entry into the Pre-Bar Course, would this not amount to the reintroduction of an entrance examination by another name?” he questioned.

Mr Assafuah also referenced the Supreme Court’s ruling in *Asare v. Attorney-General & General Legal Council (2017)*, stressing that administrative directives cannot override statutory provisions established by law.

He argued that any transitional arrangements must remain strictly within the confines of Act 1170 and should not, whether directly or indirectly, recreate abolished requirements.

The MP further raised concerns about the treatment of backlog students under the new system, questioning how universities would assess prior coursework and determine exemptions or repeat requirements across institutions.

“What exactly does this mean? How will universities determine which courses a student has already completed?” he asked, calling for clarity on implementation procedures.

Mr Assafuah said the lack of detailed guidelines could create uncertainty for thousands of law students affected by the reform, urging regulators to provide clearer direction on admission and progression standards.

He indicated that he would continue engaging stakeholders on the matter and is expected to issue further comments on the legal and policy implications of the new framework in the coming days.

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Legal Education Reform: Assafuah Questions if Entrance Exams Will Return for New Bar Training System

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