Introduce, absorb unsuccessful GSL applicants into paralegal services- GIMPA law lecturer

A lecturer and Head of the Public Law Department of the GIMPA Law School, Dr.Isidore Tufuor has called for the introduction and absorption of unsuccessful applicants in the Ghana School of Law(GSL) entrance examination into paralegal services.

According to him, the introduction of paralegal services will offer legal training to the thousands of unsuccessful applicants especially those who just need legal knowledge and do not necessarily wish to become lawyers.

Dr.Tufuor further indicated that there are many Ghanaians even with non-legal backgrounds who wish to just have the legal knowledge to aid their profession. Thus with the introduction of paralegalism, such professionals will be afforded the opportunity to learn about the law, without necessarily going through the hectic route of becoming lawyers.

To make this possible, the law lecturer suggested the accreditation, training, licensing, and certification of paralegals in Ghana and making it a recognized and existent profession like elsewhere in the world.

The law lecturer made this call when he made a presentation at the 2021 Ghana Bar Conference at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

This year’s GBA annual conference was on the theme: ENSURING AN INCREASE IN REVENUE MOBILISATION THROUGH TAXATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCELERATED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF THE LAWYER.

Additionally, paralegal services, according to the GIMPA law lecturer, will eventually reduce the high demands of people to enter the Ghana School of Law and will enhance the delivery of legal services by lawyers in Ghana.

In conclusion, he indicated that the low lawyer to citizen ratio in Ghana, which currently stands at 4882 practicing lawyers to 30 million Ghanaians, will be greatly improved with the institution of paralegal services.