Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Ghana
By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday March 10, 2010
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu says government is taking immediate steps to look critically into how the National Accreditation Board (NAB) accredits institutions to run law degrees.
“The National Accreditation Board can no longer accredit any institution to run law degree programmes. They must of necessity discuss it with the Director of Legal Education, the General Legal Council and the Ghana Bar Association before their proposals could be considered.”
Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu was speaking at the 51st Student’s Representative Council (SRC) week celebration of the Ghana School of Law in Accra Monday under the theme; “Upholding fundamental human rights, the role of the law student.”
She noted that even though there is an increasing demand for legal training, “there are wobbling efforts by educational institutions to meet that demand and above all there is the present incapacity of the Ghana School of Law to provide space for persons qualifying from basic legal training and in need of professional legal training.”
She said as a result, increasing demand had led to what she called “skyrocketing of the cost of legal education,” as well as “issues of right to education by those who are unable to afford legal education.”
The Attorney General further said that the processes through which lawyers are certified to practice will be reviewed, adding “there are many issues relating to the quality of lawyers who are produced each passing year.”
She said the Ministry was working with the Director of the Ghana School of Law and the General Legal Council to finalize proposals for a Ghana School of Law Bill to replace the current one which she says has outlived its usefulness.
She said there should be a situation whereby admissions into the Ghana School of Law will be for those who are the “best” and not for those who have the “means.”
She stressed the need for more people to be trained to engage in paralegal services to support the administration of justice and promised the government’s commitment to ensure a system of justice that is “people-centered.”
“Unless legal education is reformed now, the inefficiencies in the delivery of justice and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights will continue unabated. There is a critical need for a review of the administration of the criminal justice system and I am taking steps to initiate such a review.”
The Minister bemoaned the current situation whereby a person could be on remand awaiting trial for over fourteen years and pursue a simple commercial case for over five years.
She also expressed concern about limited staff at the disposal of the Attorney General, the Legal Aid Board and the bench.
Justice William Atuguba of the Supreme Court who represented Chief Justice Georgina Wood who launched the Law Week celebration said basic lessons on human rights for every Ghanaian must not be taken for granted and urged law students to “help in explaining to groups of our less fortunate brothers and sisters their basic human rights.”
Also see : www.dailyguideghana.com
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