Your Questions On Reading Law In Ghana — Answered
Law is a programme many people want to study at one point or the other. Lots of people have asked various questions about the study or law and we would like to answer a few. Here are eight questions people have often asked about the study of law in Ghana.
1. Which course do I need to read in senior high school in order to read law?
Answer: The limits on the study of law are very few. Some time back, anyone who read any course whether visual arts or science could read law but now many school seem to accept only science, general arts and business students. However for those who want to do law a postgraduate course, as long as you have a first degree from any recognized university, there is no limit on the discipline in which that degree was acquired. Note that admissions to read law are very competitive and you have to have good grades to get admission.
2. Can I go to Ghana School of Law with any degree at all?
Answer: No. To enter Ghana School of Law, you have to have a bachelor’s degree in law.
3. How long does it take to study law?
Answer: Ghana School of Law is a two year programme. How long it takes to read law generally depends on the duration of the LL.B programme. For most WASSCE applicants, the undergraduate programme is for four years, making it a total duration of six years. For those who already have a first degree and want to study law, it depends on the university you obtain the LL.Bfrom. It could be two, three or four years depending on the university you attend.
4. Can you be a lawyer if you don’t go to Ghana School of Law but have a first degree in law?
Answer: No. It is when you attend Ghana School of Law and are called to the bar that you become a lawyer. When you have study bachelor of laws, you obtain an LL.B degree but are not a lawyer until you get called to the bar.
5. Is it advisable to study law as a first degree or it’s better to read another programme and study law later?
Answer: It depends on you. If your goal is to be a lawyer, then the best thing is to study law as a first degree and become a lawyer right away. However, if you want to do something else and study law later, or are unable to make the grades for first degree law, or you want to work and make money to support your study of the law, then you can study another programme before studying law. However, if you do not intend making any use of your first degree, it would be a waste of time to read another programme when law is what you ultimately want to do.
6. Is Ghana School of Law what is called “Makola”?
Answer: Yes. The Ghana School of Law is popularly known as Makola because the Accra main campus is located at Makola. However, Ghana School of Law now has three branches, with one being in GIMPA, one in Kumasi and the main campus in Makola, so the school is no longer limited to Makola alone.
7. What does a person do to become a judge?
Answer: All that is needed to become a judge is to first of all be a lawyer. A person can become a magistrate three years after becoming a lawyer, become a circuit court judge after practicing as a lawyer for at least five years, a high court judge for at least ten years, a Court of Appeal judge after at least twelve years and a Supreme court judge after at least fifteen years of practice as a lawyer.
8. What is the difference between a barrister and a lawyer?
Answer: A lawyer can be either a barrister or a solicitor. Explained simply, barristers are lawyers who represent their clients in court and do courtroom advocacy. Solicitors are lawyers who perform legal work outside of court (including drafting letters, contracts and legal opinions) but do not represent clients in court. This is distinction is found mainly in England. In Ghana, a lawyer can do the work of both a solicitor and a barrister. There is therefore no such distinction in Ghana.
We hope this has been helpful to you.
