Vincent Echo Asafoua, Member of Parliament for Outdated Tafo and Rating Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports activities Committee;
Vincent Echo Asafoua, Member of Parliament for Outdated Tafo, has expressed concern over the newly launched authorized training framework in Ghana, warning that the present admission system may not directly reintroduce the very entrance examination system that Parliament had sought to abolish.
His feedback got here after the Director of Authorized Training, Professor Raymond Atugba, issued an interim directive beneath the Authorized Training Act 2026 (Act No. 1170) to switch the earlier Unbiased Examinations Fee (IEC) entrance examination with a brand new multi-stage coaching pathway for aspiring legal professionals.
Underneath the revised system, LLB graduates can be required to take a pre-licensure course, then a authorized observe coaching program, sit the bar examination and finally qualify to be known as to the bar.
Nevertheless, Asafoua questioned how admissions to pre-legal programs could be managed, noting that the directive would enable every establishment to make admissions selections based mostly by itself educational guidelines, competency and regulatory issues.
In an announcement launched on Saturday, June 13, 2026, MPs stated this flexibility may result in inconsistencies between establishments and the reintroduction of admissions-style screening processes beneath completely different labels.
He cited the instance of the Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Know-how (KNUST), the place admission to the LLB program is already carried out by way of entrance exams, and argued that related practices may emerge on the pre-legal stage.
“If KNUST or another instructional establishment chooses to use an identical admission mannequin for admission to pre-legal programs, will this not quantity to reintroducing the doorway examination beneath a special title?” he requested.
Mr. Asafoua additionally referred to the Supreme Court docket’s resolution in Asare v. Legal professional Basic and Basic Regulation Council (2017), stressing that an government order can’t override statutory provisions made by regulation.
He argued that any transitional preparations ought to stay strictly inside the ambit of Regulation 1170 and shouldn’t, instantly or not directly, recreate repealed necessities.
He additionally expressed considerations concerning the therapy of scholars who haven’t taken programs beneath the brand new system, questioning how universities will consider earlier programs and decide exemptions and repeat necessities throughout establishments.
“What precisely does this imply? How will universities decide which programs a pupil has already accomplished?” he requested for readability on implementation procedures.
Mr Asafoua stated the dearth of detailed pointers may trigger uncertainty for the hundreds of regulation college students affected by the reforms, and known as on regulators to supply clearer path on admission and development standards.
He has indicated his intention to proceed partaking with stakeholders on this concern and is anticipated to concern additional feedback on the authorized and coverage implications of the brand new framework within the coming days.
