Acting Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana
Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has characterized the present as a pivotal juncture for the legal profession, issuing a call for swift and substantive reform of Ghana's legal education system.
Speaking during the enrolment of 824 new lawyers in Accra on Friday October 10, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said his appointment comes “at a defining moment — a season both for reflection and urgent reform in legal education in our beloved Ghana.”
He acknowledged the growing challenges facing legal education in the country, including a mounting backlog of aspiring law students seeking admission to the Ghana School of Law, questions about educational quality, inadequate infrastructure, and the urgent need to modernize in an era of rapid technological change.
“But challenges must not be seen as signs of decay but banks of renewal. The challenges we face today are the very light that must illuminate our path forward,” he added.
The Acting Chief Justice acknowledged the intense public debate on legal reform, where "hope and frustration for the aspiring lawyer intermingle in equal measure." He then issued a direct charge to the Ghana School of Law and the General Legal Council to collaborate with stakeholders and "act decisively."
“The reforms we pursue must go beyond merely increasing student numbers,” he stressed. “We must refine the very purpose of legal education to meet the demands of the 21st century.”