The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has stated that the Independent Examinations Committee (IEC) no longer has the legal authority to organise entrance examinations for admission into law schools under Ghana’s newly passed legal education reform law.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s assent to the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, a landmark legislation that effectively ends the 66-year monopoly of the Ghana School of Law over professional legal education in the country.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Tuesday, May 12, Mr Dafeamekpor addressed one of the most debated issues surrounding the reforms — the conduct of entrance examinations for prospective law students.
According to him, the new law abolishes entrance examinations for admission into law schools in Ghana.
He explained that Section 90 of the legislation, which forms part of the transitional provisions, revokes Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2355 of 2018, the legal instrument that previously empowered the IEC to organise entrance examinations for admission into the Ghana School of Law.
Mr Dafeamekpor argued that the repeal of those provisions means the IEC no longer possesses any legal mandate to conduct such examinations.
He also criticised individuals and institutions organising preparatory classes for prospective law students on the assumption that entrance examinations would still be held, insisting that the new law makes no provision for such exams.
According to him, admission requirements are now clearly outlined under Section 45 of the legislation, which establishes a standardised framework for entry into law schools nationwide.
He further disclosed that admission criteria will now be administered by the Council for Legal Education and Training to ensure uniformity across accredited institutions.
The new law also permits accredited universities to offer professional legal education programmes, a reform long advocated by stakeholders who argued that the previous system created unnecessary barriers to entering the legal profession.
President Mahama, who signed the bill into law on Monday, May 11, 2026, said the legislation is intended to expand access to legal education while maintaining professional standards and quality training.
