Dominic Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has announced the government will immediately begin implementing Ghana’s new legal education reforms.
The Attorney General made this known after President John Mahama assented to the Legal Education Bill 2026.
According to Dominic Ayine, the first major step would be the dissolution of the General Legal Council to establish a new Council for Legal Education and Training to oversee legal education.
Speaking at a post-signing press conference on Tuesday, Dominic Ayine disclosed, “Implementation will begin without delay”.
“This is a much-anticipated reform law that is supposed to radically reform legal education to create equality of opportunity for persons aspiring to be lawyers in this country,” he stated.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has signed the Legal Education Reform Bill (2025) into law, following the Parliament of Ghana’s official passage of the bill.
John Mahama’s assent to the bill ends the Ghana School of Law’s 66-year monopoly, opening the door for more accredited universities to offer professional law programmes.
President Mahama, signing the bill into law on Monday, stated, “Regulate legal education and ensure the highest standards in terms of legal education, but also to open up a space for more opportunities for legal education in Ghana,” he said.
“This particular act has been one that many aspiring lawyers have been looking up to. So it’ll be fine.”
Since 1958, the Ghana School of Law has been the sole institution authorised to run the professional law course required for admission to the Ghana Bar.
With the new legislation, universities that meet accreditation requirements will now be eligible to run professional legal training programmes.
The reform is expected to ease admission pressure, expand opportunities for law graduates, and improve training quality, while ensuring strict regulation and consistent standards are maintained across all institutions through strengthened oversight nationwide.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, detailed that with the passage of the bill, the NDC has fulfilled its commitment to promoting equity, fairness, and improved access to legal education in Ghana.
He stated, “As has been typical of the NDC, promises made are delivered. We promised law students that if they vote for us, we will carry out reforms that will ensure equity, fairness and access to legal education”.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, however, took a swipe at the NDC government.
Afenyo-Markin accuse the NDC government of failing to deliver on some of its key campaign promises.
The minority leader highlighted that the reform of legal education is important, but the government must also demonstrate commitment to other critical pledges made to Ghanaians.
Also, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, in a post on X, has shared his delight saying, “It gives me the greatest pleasure to inform you that, just now, I joined the Clerk, the AG, the Chief of Staff, the Finance Minister, Dr. Valerie Sawyerr, Hon. Marietta Brew to witness his H.E John Dramani Mahama, give his assent to the new Legal Education Act, 2026.
This watershed legislation widens the opportunity for many to have access to professional legal education in Ghana, unlike before.
What’s critical to note is that standards have been tightened under this new law, ensuring that quality is not sacrificed.
According to my able AG, accreditation measures would be put in place now for a successful implementation of the new law.
What a momentous day this is for all Law Students home & abroad!!!!!
8 years of a tough fight have eventually been won.
Spiritus Invictus”.
See the post below:
Breaking News!!!
— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) May 11, 2026
1. It gives me the greatest pleasure to inform you that, just now, I joined the Clerk, the AG, the Chief of Staff, the Finance Minister, Dr. Valerie Sawyerr, Hon. Marietta Brew to witness his H.E John Dramani Mahama, give his assent to the new Legal Education…