The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has presented to the Ghana School of Law over 1.12 acres of land to be used for the construction of an ultramodern campus in Adum, Kumasi, to expand legal education in the country.

In an official handing over held on Monday, July 28, in Kumasi, Nana Samgba Gyafla II, the Paramount Chief of the Sampa Traditional Area, who attended in the Asantehene’s stead, announced that education is one of the most valued assets in the Ashanti Kingdom. Delivering a speech on behalf of the Asantehene, Nana Samgba Gyafla II, expressed the King’s commitment to supporting equal access to legal literacy in the Region.

He said, “With the support of key individuals and personalities, I decided to donate this parcel of land to support the flourishing future of legal education in the region and the northern part of Ghana, thereby ensuring equitable access to professional legal training. Legal education is deeply cherished in the Ashanti Region... Asanteman continues to produce legal minds, making Kumasi a beacon for legal excellence in the nation.”

Referring to the Kingdom’s history and legal system, the Paramount Chief of the Sampa Traditional Area stressed that Asanteman’s legal heritage dates back to the precolonial era, when their ancestors were already practicing law within their communities way before the formal court systems were introduced by the colonial master.

“Long before the British formalised their legal systems, our royals and elders were already dispensing justice with wisdom and fairness. The Ashanti Region’s legal heritage dates back to the 1930s and beyond—it is woven into our very identity.” He stressed that it is only fair that equal legal access be granted to all, as it paves the way for growth and development.

“Legal education is not a privilege—it is a pathway to upliftment. By establishing this campus, we are opening doors for brilliant minds across the northern parts of Ghana who deserve the same opportunities to rise and serve,” he remarked.

Consequently, he called on the general public, including corporate entities, to support the project, expressing his hope that construction would begin “in earnest” to fulfil this “noble objective.”

The gifting of the Adum land was budded about over two and a half decades ago. The Ghana School of Law, since its establishment in 1958 by Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has had Makola as its main and only campus. The facility to be built in Kumasi will provide a second campus.

When completed, the new campus will have lecture halls, staff offices, a moot court, hostel accommodation, a banking facility, law firms, legal shops for all regalia for lawyers, and a clinic, among others.

The acting Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, in a speech, also lauded the Asantehene for the good gesture as the project’s completion will offer students with practical learning experience as they will be close to courts, “where justice is administered,” saying that “it is a milestone not only for Kumasi but for Ghana as a whole.”

He added that the campus would ensure that professional legal education remains accessible and relevant across the country and stated that the facility would not only be brick and mortar but would represent collective aspirations for a Ghana governed by the rule of law.

“This campus will provide the next generation of lawyers with greater opportunities for practical training while keeping them close to the courts where justice is administered. It is a milestone not only for Kumasi but for Ghana as a whole. It will ensure that professional legal education remains accessible and relevant across the country. The facility will not only be brick and mortar but will represent our collective aspirations for a Ghana governed by the rule of law. It will be a place where future lawyers are imbued with the values of integrity, service, and community leadership,” he noted.

He went further to call on all stakeholders to join forces to see the successful realisation of the project. “While calling on all stakeholders, including faculty, the bar, the bench, and public and private sector partners, to work together for the full realisation of the project, I believe this campus will be a place where future lawyers are imbued with the values of integrity, service, and community leadership.”

The Director of the Ghana Law School, Nana Barima Yaw Kodie Oppong, said that the Kumasi ‘Makola’ will see students who have been forced to relocate to Accra for legal training eased of that burden, particularly those who complete the LLB programme at KNUST and are compelled to make a temporary stay in Accra for professional law programmes.

“Even after completing the LLB programme at KNUST, students were compelled to relocate to Accra for professional law training. Indeed, professional legal training became so much attached to Makola that it was almost an abomination for anyone to claim to have become a lawyer without having gone through the Ghana School of Law at Makola.”

To address it, he said approval was secured in 2010, leading to the establishment of the Kumasi campus at KNUST, saying “this year is the 15th anniversary of the realisation of this noble objective.”

In a related development, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that Ghana’s legal education system is set for a massive overhaul, citing the cancellation of the current Ghana School of Law admissions structure and replacing it with a national bar examination.

He revealed that the proposed changes during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, July 28, 2025, are part of a new legal education bill expected to be submitted to Cabinet in August. The changes are meant to make legal training easily accessible and offer all qualified law graduates a better chance to become lawyers.

With the new system, students who earn a law degree (LLB) from accredited universities will do a one-year practical training program at their schools. After that, they will take the same national exam, which will determine their qualification to be lawyers.

“The bill will abolish the Ghana School of Law system,” Dr. Ayine stated, adding, “Universities will be allowed to provide practical legal education internally, and successful students will write a national bar exam, just like what is done by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.”

Following the news, some stakeholders, such as the Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, have expressed their support for the government. “This action should have been taken long ago. The Ghana School of Law has become a bottleneck in the legal education system, and removing it opens the door to broader access and reform.”