New Leadership for Legal Education

The Council for Legal Education and Training (CLET) has unveiled its new 11-member Board of Members, with Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie serving as chairperson. The new board brings together senior judicial officers, government officials, academics and representatives of Ghana’s tertiary education sector, reflecting the broad range of institutions involved in legal education and professional training.

Members of the New Board

The 11-member board is made up of:

• Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie – Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana
• Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang – Justice of the Supreme Court
• Justice Jennifer Abena Dadzie – Justice of the Court of Appeal
• Her Honour Siran Mahama – Circuit Court Judge
• Dr Justice Srem-Sai – Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
• Dr Clement Abas Apaak – Deputy Minister for Education
• Prof Augustine Ocloo – Deputy Director-General, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)
• Prof Kofi Abotsi – Dean, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School
• Prof Peter Atudiwe Atupare – Dean, University of Ghana School of Law
• Prof Cynthia Forson – Deputy Provost, Lancaster University
• Prof Raymond Atuguba – Director-General for Legal Education

Broad Institutional Representation

The composition of the board brings together representatives from key institutions within Ghana’s legal and educational sectors. The judiciary is represented by serving members of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Circuit Court, while the Ministries responsible for Justice and Education also have representation.

The inclusion of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission provides a link with the country’s tertiary education regulatory framework. Leading law schools and tertiary institutions are also represented through their academic leaders. This structure gives CLET representation across the major areas involved in the delivery, regulation and administration of legal education and professional training.

Role of CLET

The Council for Legal Education and Training is responsible for overseeing aspects of legal education and professional legal training in Ghana. Its responsibilities include oversight of the Ghana School of Law and related regulatory functions within the country’s legal education framework. The new board will therefore play a role in guiding the development and administration of legal education and training, while providing institutional oversight of the sector.

Board Comes Amid Legal Education Reforms

The formation of the new board comes as Ghana continues efforts to implement reforms in legal education following the passage of the Legal Education Act. The reforms are intended to provide a clearer institutional framework for the organisation and regulation of legal education and professional training.

The Ghana Bar Association has previously called for the operationalisation of the legislation and the establishment of the relevant governing structures, arguing that these measures would provide the institutional foundation needed to advance reforms in legal education.

What Lies Ahead

With the board now constituted, attention will turn to the implementation of its responsibilities under Ghana’s legal education framework. The presence of senior judicial officers, government representatives, education regulators and academics gives the board a wide range of institutional perspectives as it takes on its mandate. Among its key responsibilities will be providing oversight for the development and administration of legal education and professional training in Ghana, including matters relating to the Ghana School of Law and the broader legal education system.

The new board consequently assumes its responsibilities at a significant point in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the structure and administration of legal education and professional training.