GBA wants probe into alleged law school exam leakage

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has called on the General Legal Council and its Independent Examination Committee to thoroughly investigate an alleged mass leakage of the Ghana School of Law entrance exams.

Some students of the school, who made this allegation said even the marking scheme which is supposedly exclusive to the examiners was leaked.
They expressed their disappointment in the system which is meant to guarantee the low in society some semblance of fairness.

Read: Pressure mounts on Law School to cancel leaked entrance exam

The GBA in a statement called for a probe into these allegations, saying “While the GBA is not in a position to verify or dispute the claims relating to the alleged leakage of the examination question, the Bar would deem it very unfortunate and disturbing if the allegations are proven. The Ghana Bar Association calls upon the Independent Examination Committee and the General Legal Council to thoroughly investigate the matter and state the position on the purported leakage.”

The GBA also pledged to “keenly follow the investigations” as well as offer assistance and avail itself in the pursuit and development of legal education in Ghana.

Be guarded in your comments

While calling for a probe, the GBA also urged the said candidates and Ghanaians generally to be “guarded in their comments regarding statutory bodies and institutions, and in this particular instance the General Legal Council.”

“Statutory institutions play important roles in the growth of our country and should not be denigrated,” the statement signed by the GBA’s National President, Benson Nutsukpui and National Secretary, Justin A. Amenuvor said.

The conduct of the examination itself has been challenged with a series of protests, culminating in a suit at the Supreme Court for what both students and other interest groups have variously described as an illegality.

But the court denied the interest groups an injunction application, allowing the exam to come off on Friday.

Frustrated students of the law school dreaming of being called to the bar fear their prospects will be curtailed by the supposed leakage described by some as a selfish and shameful act.

Read: Supreme Court gives Ghana School of Law green light to conduct entrance exams

“It was after the paper that we realized the marking scheme together with the question numbers are being circulated online. In fact, 3 weeks to the exams I didn’t sleep and somebody will only be reading marking scheme. It’s so painful; very, very, painful.”

“Some students had it [the question paper and marking scheme]! You go to write the exam too and you’re not given a fair ground to write. It was totally leaked.”

“The very Body which is supposed to supervise the exams is the same Body which is causing the leakage. Even if they have to cancel the exam, they should! We are prepared to rewrite it because it has been leaked.”

Some of the disappointed students have served notice of their intent to protest the matter.

A member of the Concerned LLB Holders, a group that championed concerns of these law students from the very beginning told Citi News that “We are taking steps to formally notify the Chief Justice, who chairs the General Legal Council, and notify the Attorney General, who is also a member of the General Legal Council.”

Parliament may soon be taking an interest in the matter.

Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, is willing to act on the matter, according to its Chairperson, Ben Abdallah Banda.

“As I am talking to you right now, we haven’t been formally notified so what I have advised is that if indeed it is true and they can prove it, then they should petition the speaker and I believe the Speaker will appropriately refer the matter to the relevant committee in Parliament.”

Ben Abdallah Banda noted that implications for this are dire if the leakage is indeed true.

“The consequences of this allegation suggests that all the exams be canceled, and anybody who is found culpable upon investigation be penalized. So this is a matter that has to be treated with a lot of circumspection.”

The Ghana School of Law, is unavailable for comments on the matter.

Source: citinewsroom.com