How To Become A Lawyer In Ghana

A lawyer is a professional who is qualified to offer advice about the law or represent someone in legal matters.

Qualified lawyers have to attend law school and pass a bar exam in order to practice law. A lawyer, of course, means one who practices the law.

Below is How To Become A Lawyer In Ghana

To qualify for the Bar, you must satisfy a 2-year educational and skill development requirement at the Ghana School of Law. To be enrolled in the Ghana School of Law for this course, you must possess a Law Degree from Universities and Institutions approved by the General Legal Council and must have passed the following subjects: Law of Contract Torts, Criminal Law, Law of immovable property, Constitutional Law, The Ghana Legal System, and its History, Equity and Succession.

You will then write an entrance examination followed by an interview before you are admitted to undertake the 2-year training.

After completing and passing the Ghana School of Law course, you will be enrolled into the Ghana Bar if the General Legal Council is satisfied that you are of good character followed by a 6-month pupillage requirement after which a Solicitor Licence is issued.

Become A Lawyer In Ghana

Although the Bar is highly competitive, it is open to all individuals willing to take up the challenge.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

There are various law firms in Ghana where you can obtain legal services. 

A list of Law firms in Ghana can be found through various search engines and on legal websites. There is also the Legal Aid Scheme available for those unable to afford legal help although access to this aid is quite limited due to underfunding.

There are also firms that provide free services on a pro bono basis. 

Pro Bono is available to those who cannot afford a Lawyer and are not eligible for legal aid. 

You can contact the various firms to find out about their pro bono services. Pro Bono services in Ghana are very limited and mainly exist in the Human Rights Law field. 

There are also organizations that offer Pro Bono services. 

Some of these organizations include the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Human Rights Advocacy Centre in Ghana, FIDA, and the Legal Resources Centre.

Pro Bono facilitates access to Justice and lawyers provide help with:

• Advice on a problem,
• Mediation, and
• Representation in courts and tribunals.

REPRESENTING YOURSELF

Due to the costly nature of litigation and the limitations on the Legal Aid Scheme in Ghana, you might find yourself in court without representation. In that case, you may have to represent yourself. 

This is known as “litigant in person”.

You may first want to assess your case to find out if it has merit, to begin with. 

If you decide so, you may want to obtain information on how to proceed with your case from any legal sources you may be aware of including lawyers. 

These may help you determine the merits of your case and whether it would be beneficial to proceed to court.

If you decide to proceed, the first step is preparing your case. 

In preparing your case, providing honest evidence to the court may increase your likelihood of success. There are serious consequences in presenting a case you know is false. 

First identify what your case is, and how you want it to be remedied. 

After identifying your case, collate your evidence in support of your claim or defense. 

Beware of technical terms, time limits, the statute of limitation, and matters which require leave of the court before you take a step. There are various documents, which provide information on court proceedings. 

Most notably, there are the High Court Civil Procedure Rules (CI 47) for civil cases and the Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (ACT 30) for criminal cases.

Admission Requirements to Study Law in Ghana

To study law at a Ghana university, there are some requirements that you must meet before you are being offered admission. There are actually three ways of doing that. We'll take you through the three categories.

Category One: 4—Year (full-time) LLB programme

Category 1 candidates are admitted as holders of:

(i) WASSSCE with credits in the three core subjects (English, Mathematics, and Integrated Science) and three WASSSCE elective subjects in General Arts or Science or Business with Business Management, Economics, Accounting, Costing, and Business Mathematics with an aggregate of 20 or better.

(ii) GCE Advanced Level with credit in at least five ‘O' level subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, together with three ‘A' Levels or equivalent in Arts or Science subjects.

iii)  Mature candidates who must be 25 years of age and above with credits in at least five ‘O' Levels, including English Language and Mathematics.

Category Two: 3—Year (full-time) LLB programme

Category 2 candidates are admitted as holders of the first degree in a discipline other than law. Candidates in this category will be required to do a three-year full-time LLB program.

Category Three: 4—Year (part-time) LLB programme

Category 3 candidates are also admitted as first degree holders in a non-law subject. Candidates in this category will be required to do a four-year part-time LLB program.

Enrol in Ghana Law School

After your LLB program, you need to enroll at Ghana Law School before you can become a lawyer in Ghana. 

The Ghana School of Law is a two-year program.

Before you can apply to the Ghana Law School, you need to meet the admission requirements.

To become a lawyer in Ghana could take a total of six years for most WASSCE applicants. 

However, for those who already have a first degree and want to study law, it depends on the university you obtain the law degree (LL.B) from. 

It could be two, three, or four years depending on the university you attend.

Ghanaians who obtained an LLB degree in a foreign university also need to apply to the Ghana Law School before they can be called to bar in Ghana.

Obtain License to Practice Law in Ghana

This is the last step that you need to practice law in Ghana. 

Once you have been called to the bar, you need to obtain a license from the Ghana Legal Council to practice law in Ghana.

In fact, it is mandatory that all lawyers wishing to practice within the jurisdiction of Ghana, first obtain a license issued by the council. 

If you want to obtain the license to practice law in Ghana, visit the office of the Ghana Bar Association and go through the necessary processes or download the form below.

Solicitor's Application Form

How to Become A Judge in Ghana

If you have gotten to this point, congratulations, you are on the right path to becoming a judge in Ghana. In fact, the first thing that you need is to first become a lawyer and then obtain your license to practice law in Ghana.

You can become a court magistrate right after becoming a lawyer. 

After practicing as a lawyer for at least five years, you can become a Circuit Court Judge. 

To become a High Court Judge, you must practice law for at least ten years and twelve years for a Court of Appeal Judge. 

To become a supreme court judge, you must have at least fifteen years of experience as a practicing lawyer in Ghana.

How much are Ghanaian lawyers paid?

The salary range for the majority of workers in Lawyers – from GH₵730.28 to GH₵6,775.70 per month

What is the best law school in Ghana?

Below are the best law schools in Ghana that you can apply to;

Mountcrest University College Faculty of Law.

UCC Faculty of Law. 

KNUST Faculty of Law.

Kings University College Faculty of Law. 

Central University College Faculty of Law. 

Lancaster University Ghana University.