Law students at the Ghana School of Law say they will petition the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, to investigate the circumstances that led to mass failure of 284 students who took the professional law exams last year.
They said the petition would be copied the Majority and Minority leaders as well as the chairman of Parliamentary Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
Speaking at a forum yesterday at the Law School, Emmanuel Koby Amoah, president of the Student’s Representative Council (SRC) noted they (students) may embark on a number of initiatives including boycotting lectures and peaceful protests to register their concerns.
The Legal Profession (Professional and Post Call Law Course) Regulations, 2018 (LI2355) passed by Parliament stated that a student who failed three out of 10 subjects must register again and repeat the entire programme.
On February 19, 2019, the General Legal Council released the results of more than 500 students.
Out of this number, 284 failed while another 177 were referred in various papers.
The students failed mostly in Family law, Evidence and Advocacy.
So far, only 64 students are known to have successfully passed the exams.
The papers included criminal procedure, civil procedure, company and commercial practice, law practice management legal accountancy, evidence and interpretation, conveyancing and drafting.
Last year, the General Legal Counsel came under intense pressure following the leak of entrance exams it was organising for potential law graduates for the Ghana School of Law.
Some of the graduates seeking admission argued that the entrance exams should be scrapped but the General Legal Counsel thinks otherwise.
The Supreme Court in July 2018 dismissed an injunction application that sought to restrain the General Legal Council from organising entrance exams scheduled for Friday, July 27, 2018.
In October last year, 279 new lawyers were called to the Bar after undergoing a year’s law programme at the Ghana School of Law.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
