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The 2000-year group of the Ghana School of Law (Millennium Class) has launched its 25th anniversary celebration, with a call for expansion to access to legal education, integrating Artificial Intelligence and modern technology into legal training to strengthen and sustain the country’s democracy.
However, they encouraged legal educators to ensure that such expansion should not compromise quality but prepare lawyers to meet contemporary democratic challenges and protect constitutional governance in Ghana.
The legal practitioners expressed optimism that the combination of expanded access, technological integration, and maintained quality standards would produce lawyers better equipped to serve Ghana’s democratic institutions and address contemporary legal challenges.
The anniversary, which is characterised by a series of activities is on the theme: “Redefining Legal Education for Enhanced Democracy for the Next Generation.”
The Chairman of the Millennium Class, Isaac Acheampong, said the expansion of the legal profession to accommodate more practitioners should not be viewed negatively, provided quality standards were maintained.
“The theme is all-encompassing, and so it seeks to encourage involvement of as many people as possible because it’s a democracy. We have no civic objection to expanding that scope to open avenues for more people when it comes to legal education.”
Drawing comparisons with other jurisdictions, he said: “If you look at other jurisdictions, they count professionals per quota of a population. If we get to a point where there can be one lawyer for every 20 people, it shouldn’t be barred, except that what we need to do is not to lose focus on the quality of the education that we seek to deliver.”
“As much as we can maintain the standards and the focus on the quality, I think that there’s nothing wrong with opening it up to get as many people as possible,” he stated.
Mr Acheampong emphasised that law as a discipline equips individuals for diverse career paths beyond traditional legal practice, saying, “It takes you everywhere. It’s a tool that equips you for whatever you are looking to do in life.”
The legal practitioner noted that experience was a critical differentiator between lawyers and encouraged experienced practitioners to mentor the next generation while advocating systemic reforms within the profession.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, a member of the Millennium Class underscored the urgency of integrating Ai and modern technology into legal education and investigation frameworks.
“Opening up legal education is very relevant... and AI is an area that as an institution like Ghana Police Service or even the legal fraternity, we should be focusing on - what AI presents and what modern technological advancements present in all aspects of life,” she stated.
She highlighted that crimes were evolving through technological advancements, requiring relevant laws to tackle them, including enhancing legal education well position future lawyers and law enforcers to fight cyber and other crimes.
“The Ghana Police Service is taking proactive steps to address this gap. For us in investigation, we are opening to that, and we are looking at areas in which we can educate or sensitise our detectives in AI,” DCOP Donkor stated.
Activities of the Millennium Class anniversary include a virtual interaction, donation, renovation of classroom block at the Ghana School of Law, holding of legal clinic, Islamic Prayer (Jummah), a trip to the countryside for bonfire, jam/party and thanksgiving service.
