ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
A person who has an undergraduate or post-graduate legal qualification will not have to start at the foundation level, making it much cheaper than university study.
Students can study via CILEx Law School or through several approved providers.
Each stage of qualification via the CILEx CPQ takes between eighteen months and two years depending on the speed of the student.
United States of America In the 1800s, colleges in the USA began offering law degrees and the English “apprenticeship” programs continued in several states.
A liberal approach to this combined module is often adopted, and the regulation of this is primarily on a state-by-state basis.
I am informed that in California for instance, one may choose to undertake legal education by attending law school or participating in a program of legal studies within a law office or a judge’s chambers, also known as the Law Office Study (LOS) Programme.
A student in the LOS Programme must complete four (4) years of study in a law office under the supervision of a licensed California attorney who has been active, in good standing and actively practiced law for at least the last five (5) consecutive years or in a judge’s chambers under the supervision of a judge of a court of record in California.
The core elements include studying law in the law office or judge’s chambers during regular business hours for at least 18 hours each week for four (4) consecutive years followed by the passage of the first year (“baby”) bar examination.
Thereafter, one has to pass the Multi-state Professional Responsibility examination and finally pass the California Bar Examination.
The attorney or judge under whom the applicant is apprenticing must also satisfy certain requirements, including personally supervising the candidate for at least 5 hours per week; testing the applicant at least once a month on studies completed during the previous month; providing reports to the State Bar every 6 months regarding the applicant’s study, and not supervising more than 2 applicants during the same period.
Clearly, it would take serious time commitment for both the applicant and supervising attorney/judge to successfully complete the law study requirements.
The Gambia The Gambia derives its legal system from the English common law, sharing analogous authorities and legal regimes with Ghana.
It offers a welcoming albeit expensive alternative for Ghanaian law students who wish to undertake the professional law training outside Ghana, after the first degree.
Currently, the Gambia Law School’s curriculum covers a 1-year intensive course unlike GSL which requires a 2-year course.
It must however be noted that whichever jurisdiction provides the foundational legal training, one has to undergo the post-call professional training in Ghana, because of the unique jurisdictional legal contents of every country.
Nigeria Legal education in Nigeria parallels that of Ghana.
It requires an eligible candidate to obtain a law degree from the Faculty of Law of any recognized university in or outside Nigeria, with a course of legal studies that is approved by the Council of Legal Education.
This provide the sufficient qualification for admission to the Nigerian Law School for a one-year professional, practical training for persons wishing to be called to the Nigerian Bar.
South Africa Legal training in South Africa is analogous to the version found in Ghana save for one distinctive feature - apprenticeship.
South African legal education entails acquiring a law degree which takes at least 4 years in any of the country’s universities and a further 2 years doing what is termed as “law articles” (Articles of Clerkship).
This consists of working under the supervision of a registered attorney and law firm akin to the apprenticeship models found in the U.S.
and U.K.
jurisdictions.
This is then followed up by taking examinations prior to an Attorney’s admission exam.
Attorney admission is the final step of becoming an attorney in South Africa after the candidate has been admitted as an attorney qualified to practice law in South Africa.
Sustaining excellent legal education What may be appreciated from these different models of legal education?
What exactly would comprise excellent legal education?
The ambulation through different common law jurisdictions has been done to stimulate thinking about what exactly legal education entails, requires and should expect.
My personal journey in the law started in 1980 when I entered the faculty of law in the University of Ghana, Legon.
My studentship there ended in 1984, because no one in Ghana graduated in the year 1983, when I was scheduled to have graduated from the faculty.
After two years at the Ghana Law School, and nearly 38 years as an active practitioner of law, I see the absolute merit in legal education that embraces attention to the scope of the time spent on legal education, the environment in which legal education is done, the place of skills training in legal education, and the attention to ethical content of training during legal training.
Added to these four factors is the need for dynamism in the evolution of legal education, and the cultural content of legal education.
These are the six strains of thought and sets of recommendations that I would like to leave with you today.
Legal education in Ghana is clearly being conducted as any form of education.
It is being done within the academic walls of universities, and for a season of time which allows educators to take students through silos of legal courses identified within the common law system and legislated within the Legal Profession Act as necessary components of knowledge for a common law lawyer.
However, this siloed form of learning fails to communicate the very and basic nature of how law works.
Law does not function in neat silos.
So whether it is the review of a project contract, confrontation of criminal assault arising from domestic violence, or the drafting of legislation to support the rights of children, the legal actor involved has to have the deliberately developed skill of being able to throw their thinking wide.
There must be the ability to scan all the different horizons of social contexts, existing laws, and priority of legal principles before a proper legal opinion and plan of action can be formed.
Take the drafting of a project contract.
A lawyer engaged in such a venture has to have not just a perfunctory understanding of project management, but also the inter-linkages between the disciplines of how project finances are raised, how project values are measured, when engineering or architectural services interface with that of other disciplines and many more issues that directly impact on the project under consideration.
In the same vein, when confronted with a case of criminal assault, failure to appreciate the different standards of proof found in the law of evidence at the time of investigation and preparation of different processes for prosecution can make that prosecution dead on arrival.
I could go on and on.
The due development of the legal skills of analysis, evaluation, research, and considerations should not be left to the ‘post school’ environment of a lawyer that has been recommended for enrolment.
This necessitates that the study of law is better done in modules that are layered with all the necessary legal skills training than the cramped walk through the different academic courses.
Legal apprenticeship must commence almost as early as the learning of philosophies, doctrines and principles.
I recommend to Central University, as a trail blazer, a training content that is supplemented with training in research skills, brief writing, presentations, project and legal clinics work, in an environment that ensures that as much serious attention is given to the learning of requisite legal skills as is given to the knowledge of the content.
This approach demands that the environment for legal training is diversified from the onset.
It must be a requisite for a first term law student to spend certain hours in the courts, and to account for those hours, for the simple purpose of revealing the intertwined nature of law as it operates in the life of ordinary citizens.
This practice must be intensified during the study of the law of evidence.
Legal clinics requiring the writing of briefs, presentations on real life problems must move alongside the study of criminal law and criminal procedure.
There cannot be the study of constitutional law without immersion in the practical work of the Supreme Court on days when it deals with constitutional cases, and the conduct of constitutional law clinics for persons with public interest concerns.
The law on civil and legal procedures, as stand-alone subjects but interlaced with the study of every area of law, and how processes and instruments in that area of law are managed procedurally.
The skill of drafting must not be studied in the narrow context of civil or criminal procedure and drafting of agreements but practically addressed during the study of every area of law.
Law faculties must become the place where potential legal practitioners cut their teeth in becoming problem solvers, because the discipline of law is a practical arena for problem solving.
This approach to professional training and learning is nothing new.
Medical students are placed into hospitals early for an extended time of study.
Because it is accepted that the learning of medicine must be conducted forensically, and it requires practical evaluation and consideration of real life problems.
This is the gap in appreciation of the nature of law that, to my mind, has weakened legal education.
Assuring legal practice of ethical content The development of the ethics of diligence, propriety, independent thinking, integrity in research cannot be injected overnight into lawyers when they complete schools and become subject to the Code of Conduct of the Ghana Bar Association, or join the bench and become subject to the Code of Conduct of the Association of Magistrates and Judges.
Ethics is an internalized content of values and morality that gets crystallized through the environment in which a person develops.
The development of a legal mindset that functions ethically should be at the stage of the law faculty and not later.
It is essential therefore that if lawyers are not to graduate with weak research skills, writing, presentation and advocacy skills, and weak aptitude for evaluation and consideration of legal issues, then these skills must be inculcated through a culture of diligent research and meticulous advocacy as part of the discipline of studying law.
The cultural content of legal education The common law of Ghana includes the customary laws of our beautiful country.
I do not think there is any discipline or profession that is as much confronted with the weight of our different customs as is the legal profession.
Primordial legal interests such as land ownership, marriage and inheritance, and the very identity of a citizen are premised within customary law.
It is in this context that the study of customary law should be done with in depth focus on its relevance in many contexts of spousal rights, social welfare arrangements such as child care, criminal justice situations such as domestic violence and child or spousal abuse, as well as the regulation of labor in commercial organizations in which family relations form the basis of corporate and commercial interests.
Studying the theories of the law on Trusts and Equity, Succession and Inheritance without an in depth clinical consideration of their effect on the seemingly intractable weakness in land management has left a gap in the nation’s ability to streamline the fundamental issues of capital and equity.
Equally critical are the economic and social rights rendered as fundamental human rights but which can only be enabled within appropriate appreciations of the effect of customary law.
Equally weak has been the nation’s due regulation of ethnic leadership and the proper devolution of power to manage family and stool assets – a situation that has often caused instability in the security and economic architecture of the nation.
But I daresay that one arena in which the nation may have lost the wealth in our customary law is in the failure of legal education to streamline the study of alternative dispute resolution.
The art and skills of negotiation, mediation, arbitration and their different hybrid forms have been largely lost in the dispute resolution arena for commercial conflicts, land litigation, personal injury situations and other areas of conflict that unnecessarily dog the courts.
From the above, it is my view that there is a real need to fine grain the application of law to how our society is actually structured.
The current gap in legal study of customary law, the law on chieftaincy, the intersectionality of chieftaincy, land, ethnic governance, capital and asset management have weakened the proper growth of our society in ways that are almost immeasurable.
For the nation to develop economic strength by genuinely empowering citizens, these gaps in legal education have to be tackled sooner than later.
Because of the global common law architecture, my view is that identified gaps in legal education which negatively impact on the ability of the legal sector to effectively serve the nation are best and easily tackled through strategic augmentation of class room study with carefully curated legal clinics for skills training, internships, workplace experiences, and carefully curated seminars for developing legal principles and thoughts for solving evolving social issues.
When law faculties factor such learning environments into the study of law, the legal industry will become better equipped in responsiveness.
The need for dynamism in the evolution of legal education I wish to conclude by requesting all stakeholders in the legal industry to actively develop strategies to proactively respond to the dynamic evolution of society.
Currently, there is an urgent need to understand how every arena of law is impacted by digital technology and the derivation of legal principles on electronic evidence for every context of law.
This is simply the state of society now.
How are law faculties responding to this clear, urgent and pressing need?
Law provides the foundational pillars for constructing society in an orderly and strong manner.
Where the managers of the legal industry fail to be responsive to the needs of society in the development of critical principles and precepts that deal with social needs, society’s development can only be undermined without an appreciation of why this is happening.
Where the legal industry rises to respond in proactive manner to the dynamics of social evolution, the society is better resourced for the maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity.
May this be the trailblazing focus of Central University in the coming decade.
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STATEMENT DELIVERED BY JUSTICE RICHARD ADJEI-FRIMPONG, JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE OF THE 150 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF GHANA, AT A PRESS BRIEFING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 8 TH APRIL 2026 AT THE CHIEF JUSTICE’S CONFERENCE ROOM, JUDICIAL SERVICE HEAD OFFICE, ACCRA.
Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen of the press.
It is my singular honour to welcome you to this press briefing.
Let me, on behalf of His Lordship the Chief Justice of the Republic, the Judicial Council and the Anniversary Planning Committee which I chair, thank you for honouring our invitation even at such a short notice.
This short ceremony is to brief you on the celebration of the 150 th Anniversary of the establishment of the highest court of the land dubbed; the Supreme Court@150.
The Supreme Court was established under the Supreme Court Ordinance of 1876, an Ordinance recognized as marking the beginning of the modern Ghanaian legal system.
Over the decades, the evolution of the Court has been chequered, challenging, yet enduring.
The Court has not been spared the misfortunes of political hostility, military interventions featuring suspensions and abrogations of constitutions, societal criticisms, even condemnation, some fair others unfair and in some instances extraordinary legislative re-alignment.
In all this however, the Court has survived and thrived.
And in the chapters and verses of this evolution, the Court has held on to its fundamental role of defending the constitution, ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights of the citizenry and enforcing and sustaining a true democratic system of governance.
The Supreme Court has not just been a Court, but a very significant national governance institution.
A few of the noble decisions of the Court which attest to the promotion of constitutionalism, good governance and the protection of human rights may be recounted in brief.
Article 181(5) of the Constitution has been interpreted by the Court to ensure that international business agreements involving the state shall not come into operation unless it is approved by a resolution of parliament.
By this decision, the representatives of the people have a final say in how the executive transacts international businesses.
Further, today, prisoners are permitted to vote, thereby expanding the frontiers of universal adult suffrage.
Again, today, one does not need a police permit in order to embark on a demonstration.
Finally and perhaps most significantly, two presidential election disputes have been resolved by the Court to ensure political stability.
The list can go on and on.
In spite of the challenges, there is a lot in history and present day to celebrate of the Court The theme for the celebration is; “HONOURING THE PAST, CELEBRATING THE PRESENT AND DEFINING THE FUTURE” .
This theme is fitting and apposite.
We believe it is deserving to celebrate the historical significance of the Court, honour the achievements of our forebears and highlight the Court’s contribution to the social, political and democratic development of the country.
We also believe that in recent decades, particularly under the dispensation of the 1992 Constitution, the court has carved for itself a remarkable component of Ghana statehood which is worthy of celebration.
There is also the need to look into the future and chart a sustainable course to meet emerging challenges of the global legal system.
In effect, this is not going to be just a celebration, it shall be a moment of stock-taking, lesson-learning and strategizing into the future.
The celebrations will be launched on the 16 th of April 2026 at the Cedi Conference Center, University of Ghana.
The actual celebrations which will be a month-long event shall be held from 1 st to 31 st July, 2026.
The events lined up for the celebrations will include lectures and symposia by various dignitaries locally and internationally, legal outreach programs, Moot Court competitions, Sporting events, sod-cutting of anniversary project, durbar to climax the celebrations, dinner and Thanksgiving Service.
We take this opportunity to invite you and the people of Ghana to stand with us in the preparations and join us in the celebrations of this significant milestone of the highest Court of the land.
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE PAUL BAFFOE-BONNIE ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SUPREME COURT OF GHANA @150 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CEDI CONFERENCE CENTRE THURSDAY, 16TH APRIL 2026 Theme: “ Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Defining the Future.”
SALUTATIONS The Honourable Deputy Chief of Staff, (Representative of the Government) Nana Oye Bampoe Addo; The Representative of Parliament; The Honourable Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr.
Justice Srem-Sai; Distinguished Former Chief Justices — Her Ladyship Georgina Theodora Wood, Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo, and His Lordship Kwasi Anin Yeboah; My Lords and Ladies of the Supreme Court Bench The Judicial Secretary, Mr.
Musah Ahmed and other Justices of the Superior Courts herein present; Other Honourable Ministers of State Present; Members of the Lower Court; Our Special Guests of Honour; Distinguished Members of the Bar; Niimei, Nameii, Nananom, Naas; Our Friends from the Media; Ladies and Gentlemen— BEFORE I BEGIN It is refreshing to note that this is one of the rare occasions where we gather as a judicial family, with no case files before us, no preliminary objections to determine, and no applications for adjournment.
And for once, I believe we may all agree—without the need for concurring opinions or a dissent—that this is a good day for the law.
OPENING It is not often that an institution is given the privilege of pausing to look at itself in the mirror of time.
Today is one such rare moment.
A moment not of noise, but of reflection; not of ceremony, but of reckoning.
One hundred and fifty years ago, in 1876, under the Supreme Court Ordinance, a quiet but profound chapter began on these shores.
The highest court of the Gold Coast was formally established — not in grand ceremony, but with the solemn duty to guard laws, liberties, and the promise of justice for all.
Today, we gather here not merely to mark the passage of time, but to reflect deeply on its meaning.
For institutions do not become great by years alone.
They become great by the courage with which they serve their purpose — and in our case, by the fidelity with which they uphold the calling of justice.
HONOURING THE PAST, REFLECTING ON THE PRESENT AND DEFINING THE FUTURE Your Excellencies, today, we launch the celebration of the Supreme Court of Ghana at 150 under the theme: “ Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Defining the Future .”
This anniversary is more than a milestone.
It is a moment for honest reflection, quiet gratitude, and bold hope.
One hundred and fifty years is remarkable.
But history will not judge us by how long the Court has existed.
It will judge us by what we did with the moment entrusted to us — whether we merely celebrated the past, or whether we had the courage to define a brighter future.
This anniversary must therefore be remembered as a commitment: to faster justice, to accessible justice, to transparent justice, and to a Judiciary worthy of the enduring trust of the Ghanaian people.
Let us first honour the past with the respect it richly deserves.
From the early courts in Cape Coast — where the foundations of our legal tradition were laid in the very cradle of what would become Ghana — through the colonial era and the turbulent years after independence, men and women of courage sat on the bench.
They defended the rule of law, often under pressure, sometimes making difficult choices, yet leaving behind a legacy of integrity that still lights our path.
We remember the pioneering judges who built this institution brick by brick, literally and figuratively.
We remember the first Ghanaian voices that rose in our courtrooms, helping shape a young nation into a constitutional democracy.
Their footprints live on in every judgment that has protected rights, resolved disputes, and upheld the dignity of the ordinary citizen.
We are especially honoured today by the presence of three distinguished former Chief Justices — Her Ladyship Georgina Theodora Wood, our first female Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo, and His Lordship Kwasi Anin Yeboah.
Your leadership reminds us that the Judiciary is not about one person or one era, but a continuous chain of dedicated service.
Thank you for the paths you cleared and the high standards you set.
But anniversaries must not only celebrate — they must also speak truth.
After 150 years, we must ask ourselves honestly: Are we where we should be?
Should congestion and delays still burden our courts?
Should we still lean so heavily on manual processes in a digital age?
Should access to justice, in too many cases, still hinge on geography, cost, or time?
These are not attacks on individuals; they are questions about systems.
Because the truth is this: longevity, without renewal, is a quiet form of decline.
And the law—if it is to remain relevant—must not only endure.
It must respond.
That is why this anniversary is not only commemoration — it is a turning point and a mandate.