A US-based Ghanaian Lawyer, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare has asked the Attorney General(AG) to cause the General Legal Council (GLC) to submit to the directives of the Legislature in relation to the 499 law students who were denied admission into the Ghana School of Law despite making the 50 percent pass mark.
“Mr. AG, stop the banter with Parliament” Prof. Kwaku Asare popularly known as Kwaku Azar said in a Facebook post, adding “It is entirely appropriate for it(Parliament) to direct the moribund GLC to follow the law, even if through a nonbinding resolution.”
His submission comes on the back of the AG’s response to parliament regarding the resolution passed by the House which asked the General Legal Council (GLC) to admit the 499 denied admission into Ghana School of Law.
The AG in a Statement indicated that Parliament is devoid of the power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law.
“Respectfully, I am aware of a resolution passed by Parliament at its sitting on Friday, 29th October, 2021 in these terms: … The General Legal Council is hereby directed to proceed and admit all the students who passed in accordance with the advertised rules of the examinations.. The Attorney-General is the leader of the bar in Ghana and he must see to it that the directive that 499 students who scored 50 marks are admitted is complied with.
“We do not want to get to contempt of Parliament issues. Whilst recognising the general legislative powers of Parliament in Ghana, except as have been circumscribed by the Constitution, I am constrained to advise that Parliament is devoid of a power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law.
“The mode of exercising legislative power enshrined in article 106 of the Constitution does not admit of resolutions.
“In accordance with section 13(1)(e) and (f) of the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32), the power to regulate admission of students to pursue courses of instruction leading to qualification as lawyers and to hold examinations which may include preliminary, intermediate and final examinations has been vested in the General Legal Council.
But Kwaku Azar laughed at the absurdity of the AG’s position saying “AG and others who could not find anything illegal with the 499 scam and the monopoly of the GSL have all of a sudden discovered that Parliament has no power to pass a nonbinding resolution directing the GLC to act ethically and follow the law.”
He rather asked the AG to use its power to direct the accredited Law Faculties to offer the “PLC” to anyone who has an LLB.
“That will be real progress!!” he noted.
Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/102.5 Fm
