The University of Ghana School of Law, under the leadership of Dean Prof. Raymond Atuguba, has taken a bold step by dismissing 23 students for poor academic performance.

Among those affected is the ward of a prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) official who currently holds a key position in a State Energy Company.

This move by the school has sent a strong message that no one, regardless of their connections or influence, is exempt from the consequences of academic underachievement. Even senior police officials and associates of the Ghanaian parliament, who reportedly tried to prevent their dismissal through various means, were unsuccessful in their attempts.

Last week, MyNewsGh.com reported on the University of Ghana School of Law's decision to dismiss these students for failing to meet academic requirements. Unusually, the school publicly disclosed the names and ID numbers of the affected students, potentially subjecting them to stigmatization.

The list obtained by MyNewsGh.com reveals that four regular law students and 19 weekend students, admitted within the past one to two years to pursue the Postgraduate LLB Degree, were among those dismissed. The affected students were informed of their dismissal several weeks ago, but they were given the opportunity to reapply and undergo a new admission process if they wished to continue their studies.

As Ghana's premier institution for legal education, the School of Law at the University of Ghana has a longstanding reputation for preparing students for successful careers in the legal profession. Upon graduation, students from the University of Ghana School of Law typically apply to the Ghana School of Law Makola for further training to become practicing lawyers.

The UG School of Law's journey began in the 1958/59 academic year as a department within the Faculty of Social Studies. It later evolved into a faculty in the 1960/61 academic year before ultimately becoming a fully-fledged school in the 2014/15 academic year.