The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has stated that the Independent Examinations Committee (IEC) no longer has the legal authority to organise entrance examinations for admission into law schools under the newly passed Legal Education Reform Law.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s assent to the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, which effectively ends the 66-year monopoly of the Ghana School of Law over professional legal education in Ghana.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Tuesday, May 12, Mr Dafeamekpor addressed one of the key contentious issues surrounding legal education reform—the conduct of entrance examinations for prospective law students.
He stated that under the new law, there are no longer any entrance examinations for admission into law schools in Ghana.
He further explained that Section 90 of the legislation, which forms part of the transitional provisions, revokes Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2355 of 2018, which previously empowered the IEC to organise examinations for admission into the Ghana School of Law.
According to him, the repeal of the relevant provisions means the IEC no longer has any legal mandate to conduct entrance examinations.
Mr Dafeamekpor also criticised individuals and institutions organising preparatory classes for prospective law students on the basis that entrance examinations would still be held, insisting that the law does not provide for such exams.
He further noted that admission requirements are now outlined under Section 45 of the new law, which he said provides a clear framework for entry into law schools.
According to him, the admission process will now be standardised across all law schools in the country, with criteria to be administered by the Council for Legal Education and Training.
The new law also allows accredited universities to offer professional legal education programmes, a reform long advocated by stakeholders who argued that the previous system created unnecessary barriers to entry into the legal profession.
President Mahama, who signed the bill into law on Monday, May 11, 2026, said the legislation is intended to both maintain quality and expand access to legal education.
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