The leaders of the National Association of Law Students have finally presented a petition to President Akufo-Addo on reforms at the law school.
This is after they were prevented from doing so during their #OpenUpLegalEducation protest last week.
The members of the association failed to present the petition on October 7, 2019, after the Ghana Police Service used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them as they approached the ceremonial entrance of the seat of Ghana’s Presidency after a peaceful march from the Ghana School of Law.
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Jonathan Alua, the President of the Law Students Association, presenting the petition to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Abu Jinapor, argued further for the President’s intervention.
Jonathan Alua said the meeting was diplomatic and that “the impression the President had was that he didn’t want to step into the powers of the Judiciary.â€
He noted that there was a clear demarcation between legal education and the Judiciary.
“We are strongly of the view that the General Legal Council in administrating their mandate to regulate legal education is doing their administrative job and is separate from the judiciary. The law allows for the President to direct the General Legal Council through the Attorney General".
He said it is the expectation of law students in Ghana that the President will deal with their concerns with all the urgency it deserves and within reasonable timelines.
Mr Jinapor, in his remarks after hearing the delegation, assured them that the President will certainly be given their petition forthwith. He added that the President will give adequate consideration to their concerns as presented.
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The protest by law students in Ghana followed the massive failure recorded at the Ghana School of Law's 2019-2020 academic year entry examination, as only 128 students out of 1,820 passed.