Reformation of legal education is not the job of the Chief Justice - Kwaku Ansa-Asare

The former director of the Ghana Law School, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has indicated that the reformation of the current legal education in Ghana is not part of the mandates of the Chief Justice (CJ).

According to him, the core mandate of the CJ is to oversee justice delivery in the country and not bring reformation to the challenges in the legal education system.

In a report by myjoyonline.com, the former director is quoted as having said,

“No Chief Justice will be able to reform legal education in this country. It is not their job. Chief Justices are there to superintend justice delivery systems from the corridors of the judicial service and the judiciary. Legal education is not part and parcel of judicial activism,” Mr Ansa-Asare said.

He further explained that the challenges in legal education can only be solved and managed by legal educators and, therefore, should be left in their hands, not that of the Chief Justice.

“Elsewhere, you have legal education as a separate and distinct thing from the justice delivery system. They are not cut out for legal education. So, we’re better off leaving legal education in the hands of legal educators, period!

“So, believe you me, no Chief Justice. If I have to cast my vote, I’ll cast my vote for none of them. Because I don’t expect any of them, be it Yonny Kulendi or Gertrude Torkonoo, to come and reshape the legal environment. It’s not possible,” he noted.

He believes that legal education will be better off in an appropriate educational environment.

“So, I have always held the view that Ghana as a nation will be better off if legal education is entrusted in the hands of those who are trained to be legal educators and are therefore [in] the legal education environment.

“Apart from that, what I can say in this regard is if anybody should tell you that either Justice Gertrude Torkonoo or Yonny Kulendi as Chief Justice or whatever will undertake any reform in legal education, I do not think the person is speaking truth,” he added.

Background:

The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Supreme Court Judge Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as the next Chief Justice of Ghana.

Her nomination is in response to the retirement of the current Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who is due next month.

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