Law Entrance Exams Cancelled

Aspiring law students across Ghana have been asked to calm down and jubilate following the passage of the Legal Education Act, 2026, moving the era of entrance examinations into professional legal training as a thing of the past.

The Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi legislator, Hon. Rockson Nelson Etse Dafeamakpor who played a leading role in advocating for the passage of the legislation, said the new law has fundamentally changed Ghana’s legal education landscape by removing longstanding barriers that limited access to professional legal training.

Also, he added that it has dismantled the monopoly that had existed within the system for decades.

Speaking after presidential assent to the new law, Hon. Dafeamakpor described the development as a historic moment for legal education and for thousands of Bachelor of Laws graduates who have waited for broader opportunities to pursue careers at the Bar.

According to him, the implementation of the law takes effect immediately and creates an entirely new framework for the training, examination, and admission of future lawyers.

He said one of the most significant outcomes of the legislation is that the Ghana School of Law no longer retains exclusive authority to train law graduates for professional practice.

Hon. Dafeamakpor explained that under the new law, even the Ghana School of Law itself must now apply for accreditation like every other institution that intends to provide professional legal training.

He said public and private universities already operating law faculties now have the opportunity to seek accreditation and offer professional law training, creating what he described as a wider and fairer system of access for students across the country.

Addressing what he described as widespread confusion among prospective students, Hon. Dafeamakpor stated categorically that there is no provision under the new law for any entrance examination into professional legal training.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no entrance examination under this law. Section 90 of the law, as part of the transitional provisions, revokes the LI 2355-2018, which mandates the IEC to organize any form of exams at all for the law school, including entrance exams” he said.

According to him, the legal instrument that granted the council such powers has now been repealed by operation of the new law, effectively removing any authority for the council to conduct entrance examinations.

“By operation of law, the Independent Examination Council has no power under this law to organise any entrance examination,” Mr Dafeamakpor stated.

He urged students to rely on the gazetted legislation rather than speculation, social media commentary, or unofficial interpretations.

Hon. Dafeamakpor also revealed that notices that recently appeared online suggesting possible examination dates had already been withdrawn because they were not authorised. He said information on relevant websites would soon be updated to reflect the new legal reality.

Hon. Dafeamakpor disclosed that implementation of the law will begin immediately with the establishment of the new Council for Legal Education and Training, the institution created under Section One of the legislation to regulate admissions, accreditation, curriculum standards, and examinations.

According to him, the Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, has already made clear that implementation will begin without delay.

Hon. Dafeamakpor said the government is expected to move quickly to constitute the council, appoint its Director General and Registrar, and begin receiving applications from universities seeking accreditation.

He expressed confidence that the process would be completed by July, allowing accredited institutions to begin admissions in August and start academic activities in September for the 2026 academic year.

He said students hoping to begin professional legal studies this year should remain calm and prepare to apply directly to accredited institutions once the process opens.

“Absolutely, there will be no entrance examination in the 2026 academic year,” he said.