81% of students fail 2017 Bar Exams

206 law students who failed the final Bar exams at the Ghana School of Law are expected to repeat the entire course. 177 students have been referred in one or two papers. This represents 81% failure for 2017. Out of 474 students who wrote the 2017-2018 final exams, only 91 students representing 19% passed and will be called to the Bar.

The large number of students who have failed comes at a time where Parliament is legislating to determine the qualifications procedure into the Ghana School of Law. The General Legal Council, the body that oversees legal education and profession in Ghana has brought forth a strong defense for the maintenance of entrance exams. The council maintains that the exams and interviews are to ensure higher standards in legal education.

However, Chief crusader against the entrance exams Prof Kwaku Asare insists that the entrance exams and interviews at the Ghana School of Law are illegal.

Currently, there is a Legislative Instrument (LI) in Parliament which is going through a mandatory 21-day period before it matures into law. If members of the House are unable to raise two-thirds majority to kick against the LI, it will automatically become law. 

Meanwhile, critics of the entrance exams say the mass failure at the Bar exams is just one example of why the status quo must be abolished.

 

Source: Myjoyonline