The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem Sai, has clarified the purpose of the Pre-Bar Course (PBC), describing it as a transitional measure designed to support the implementation of Ghana’s new legal education reforms under Act 1170.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Justice Sai explained that Act 1170 seeks to improve professional legal training through a two-step process.
The first step, which has already been achieved, was the abolition of the Ghana School of Law’s monopoly over professional legal education.
According to him, the second phase of the reform aims to establish a more efficient and democratic system that will allow accredited universities to provide professional legal training to eligible students. He noted that the process of implementing this new regime has already begun.
Justice Sai acknowledged, however, that a transition period is necessary before the new system becomes fully operational.
He said the Act makes provision for two categories of students during this period: current Bachelor of Laws (LLB) students who are expected to graduate before the commencement of the new regime, and graduates who have already completed their studies and are awaiting professional legal training opportunities.
He explained that the Pre-Bar Course has been introduced specifically to assist these transition students.
”The PBC allows the transition students to, while waiting for the start of the new regime, take some selected subjects with the universities in advance,” he stated.
Justice Sai noted that the subjects offered under the Pre-Bar Course are those that students would otherwise have had to wait to study once the new professional legal training framework begins.
He further explained that the courses completed under the PBC will be recognised and credited when students eventually enrol in the new professional training regime and proceed towards the national bar examination.
The introduction of the Pre-Bar Course forms part of broader efforts to ensure a smooth transition from the old legal education system to the new framework envisaged under Act 1170, while reducing delays for aspiring lawyers seeking entry into the profession.
The reforms are expected to expand access to professional legal education and create a more inclusive pathway to qualification as a lawyer in Ghana.
