The General Legal Council (GLC) has summoned the General Manager of ABC Television, Godwin Asare Bediako to appear before one of its Committees over his interview regarding the recent Law School exam.
A letter signed by the Judicial Secretary, Cynthia Pamela A. Addo under the instruction of the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, invited Gordon Asare Bediako to appear Tuesday “at the Conference Room on the Second Floor of the Law Court Complex at 1 pm.”
“You are to appear with the full recording of all your recent interview with Mr Kwaku Ansa Asare regarding the recent Ghana School of Law entrance examination,” it added.
The letter did not cite any reason why Mr Asare Bediako was invited.
These past few days, the media house has had an interview with Kwaku Ansa Asare, a former Director of the Ghana School of Law, after which its ABC TV station and mainstream ABC News went on to publish stories from the interaction.
“The General Legal Council is abusing the trust the nation has reposed in them. It was time they are told in plain language that they should stop the nonsense because what is going on is nonsensical. I can’t understand,” ABC News quoted Mr Ansa Asare as saying in one of the interviews.
He added, “As a former director of the law school, I have got to say it nakedly as it is. What they are doing is unbecoming and it is time they stopped.”
The Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has announced that plans are far advanced for the commencement of the construction of a larger campus for the Ghana School of Law.
This, however, will not translate into mass admissions, she said, as all admissions will be based purely on merit.
“Plans have been made for the creation of new and other campuses away from the hustle and bustle of central Accra for which land was acquired some years ago. The plan for the execution of this project is expected to be captured in the 2020 budget which is being prepared now.
“But, however much available space is increased, the GLC [General Legal Council] will never relent on its commitment to assure us of the production of quality lawyers through the observation of highest standards.
“I am sure after all you have been through, you feel that you are
part of a special group not because of exclusiveness but because you are
here by merit,“ she said Friday, at an induction ceremony for new
lawyers in Accra.
The GLC which is chaired by the Chief Justice has come under intense criticism in recent times following the failure of hundreds of students to gain admission into the Ghana School of Law.
Law School failures
Over 90 per cent of the students who sat for the recent examination failed to make the cut for admission.
Results showed that of the 1,820 candidates who sat for the entrance exams, only 128, representing 7 per cent passed.
The mass failure comes on the back of a similar failure in the Ghana Bar
exams a few months ago. More than 90 per cent of the 727 students who
wrote that exams failed, sparking agitation among the students.
The development has left the public anxious with many blaming the Chief Justice who is on record to have said mass production of lawyers will reduce the quality and standards of the profession, for refusing to open up law education in the country.
Despite plans to expand the professional training centre, the Chief Justice insists standards will not be lowered.
“The position of the General Legal Council remains that admission to the Ghana School of Law for professional legal education requires that successful candidates obtain a minimum mark of 50% in an entrance exam administered by the Independent Examination Committee.
“By this competitive strict standard, the Ghana School of Law has over the years increased its intake and maintains two other campuses in addition to the main campus in Central Accra, to accommodate the growing interest in legal education,” she added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com