Former CJ Sophia Akufo urges quality over numbers in legal education
Addressing the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Ghana on Thursday, 16 April, she said legal education must be anchored in excellence if the judiciary is to remain strong, effective and worthy of public confidence.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for a sharper focus on the quality of legal education, arguing that the credibility of Ghana’s justice system will depend not on how many lawyers the country produces, but on how well they are trained.
Addressing the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Ghana on Thursday, 16 April, she said legal education must be anchored in excellence if the judiciary is to remain strong, effective and worthy of public confidence.
Her message was that access to legal training matters, but expansion without standards would weaken, rather than strengthen, the administration of justice.
In her view, the country would gain more from a smaller pool of highly competent lawyers than from a large profession lacking the depth, discipline and intellectual rigour that justice demands.
Justice Akuffo linked that concern directly to the performance of the courts, noting that the quality of judicial work is shaped in part by the quality of the lawyers who appear before them. For that reason, she said, legal education reform must be approached with care so that greater opportunity does not come at the cost of professional competence.
She also used the occasion to press for greater transparency in justice delivery, describing openness as a necessary foundation for accountability, integrity and trust in the courts.
Reflecting on judicial office itself, the former Chief Justice said the work of a judge carries a profound burden and requires constant self-examination, fairness and fidelity to justice.
She pointed to judicial decisions as the judiciary’s most important product, and said that reality makes it essential to preserve high standards in legal reasoning, judgment writing and the overall quality of court output.
For Justice Akuffo, the judiciary must continue evolving to meet changing public expectations, but without losing sight of its constitutional mission. Her broader call was for a justice system that remains relevant, credible and prepared for the demands of the future.
