The Transitional
Pre-Bar Course

The Director of Legal Education and the Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba, issued directives on behalf of the Attorney-General and the Minister for Justice of the Republic of Ghana introducing the Pre-Bar Course, which serves as a transitional arrangement following the passage of the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170). Under the reforms, accredited universities may retain graduating LLB students for an additional year to undertake a Pre-Bar Course covering core theoretical subjects. Graduates who complete the course become eligible for the Law Practice Training (LPT) Programme and the National Bar Examinations.

The reforms also abolish the previous entrance examination system administered by the Independent Examinations Committee (IEC). Existing LLB graduates may now apply directly to accredited law faculties or the Ghana School of Law for admission into the transitional programme. Universities that are unable to offer the Pre-Bar Course may collaborate with or transfer students to the Ghana School of Law.

The government has indicated that the reforms are intended to facilitate the decentralisation of professional legal training to accredited law faculties, while addressing a backlog of thousands of LLB graduates awaiting entry into professional legal education. Applications for accreditation to run the LPT Programme are expected to commence in October 2026, with full implementation of the new framework targeted for the 2027-28 academic year.