The University of Ghana School of Law is the premier centre for legal education in Ghana and continues to lead the way in preparing students for the legal profession. It was first established as a department of the Faculty of Social Studies in the 1958/59 academic year, becoming a Faculty in 1960/61, then eventually a full-fledged school in the 2014/15 academic year.
The University’s mission is clear: the development of world-class human resources and capabilities to meet National development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning, research, and knowledge dissemination. It has been determined that it needs to build on its core strengths of a centre of excellence for high-quality teaching and research to secure and sustain world-class competitive advantages.
By building a deeper awareness of the needs of its consumers, especially students, the private and public sectors, government, and the world community, it aims to reorient its teaching, research, and extension activities and harmonize synergies between disciplines to achieve operational excellence. Other key attributes that will characterize what it does include innovation, relevance, cutting-edge technology, leadership development, and an enterprise culture, employed to enhance the delivery of value to its consumers and stakeholders.
The University’s statement of purpose sends clear signals to all its constituent components (including the Faculty of Law) regarding the type of contribution that is expected of each. The University’s call in this regard is well articulated in its strategic plan; it calls for its constituent parts to focus on developing the resources and capacities necessary for the creation of outputs that will positively impact the development efforts of the nation.
The Faculty of Law
The decisions and choices made by the Faculty of Law, one of the flagship Faculties within the University, will have far-reaching implications on the extent to which this mission is realized.
Beyond its contribution to the realization of the University’s objectives, the Faculty of Law wishes to reassert its leadership role in the face of increasing competition and the increasingly complex needs of government, industry, and society.
It aspires to make a significant contribution to the impact that the law has on the realization of the ambitions of the various dimensions of society. All its stakeholders are convinced of the need to firmly establish the Faculty’s value contribution and to thereby attract the support and patronage of its key stakeholders and markets.
The UG law school Faculty’s aspirations are also clear: the creation of a stimulating environment in which scholarship, intellectual excellence, and thought leadership are indelible hallmarks of every activity, providing the leverage necessary to positively influence the creation of a truly equitable, unfettered, and secure environment in which Ghana can prosper. The Faculty is determined to actively play its role in the definition of the legal context in an increasingly global, technologically sophisticated, and culturally diverse continent and world.
Flowing from the above, the Faculty of Laws’ vision is to be internationally recognized as the leaders in African legal training and scholarship. Its mission is to provide the best education, training, and knowledge resources for the preparation of the legal minds and professionals capable of becoming the leaders of tomorrow.
It will produce talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law as well as excellent leadership capabilities to provide quality service to all, in all spheres of endeavor, and in all circumstances. It will build on its accumulated strengths to reinforce our reputation as an outstanding center providing high-quality teaching and research in law.
To this end, the Faculty will work on improving:
Scholarship-to provide the best education, training, and knowledge resources for the preparation of the legal minds and professionals of tomorrow.
Innovation encourages the development of a culture characterized by the free exchange of ideas, enthusiastic intellectual curiosity, and genuine commitment to the building of an enviable reputation for the Faculty of Law.
Leadership produces talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law as well as excellent leadership capabilities to provide quality service to all, in all spheres of endeavour and in all circumstances.
Admission requirements to the UG School of Law
1. Admission Requirements
Since the year 2000, the law course at the UG law school has been characterized as a second first-degree course. This means that entrants to the law faculty must possess a Degree from a “recognized university”. By “recognized university”, we mean a University that is accredited by the appropriate body in the country where the University operates its main business as a University.
2. Promotion Requirements from Level 300 to 400
a. Pass: A student is deemed to have passed if he/she has a minimum of 30 credits and a maximum of 42 credits of core courses and electives at the end of Level 300.
b. Withdrawal: A student who does not pass as prescribed by (2a) shall be asked by the Registrar to withdraw from the University.
3. Requirements for Graduation (LLB)
A student shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements for graduation if:
i. He/she has satisfied all General University and Faculty requirements;
ii. He/she has accumulated a minimum of 72 credits, including all core courses;
iii. He/she must not have failed any of the core courses (where failure means a grade below C);
iv. He/she must not have failed more than 12 credits of elective courses (where failure means a grade below C).
Contact the University of Ghana, UG School of Law
POSTAL ADDRESS: P.O. BOX LG. 70 LEGON ACCRA GHANA WEST AFRICA
LOCATIONAL ADDRESS OSU ROAD OFF THE MBEKI ABASS CIRCLE UNIVERSITY MAIN GATE
TELEPHONE AND FAX TEL: 233-21-502385 FAX: 233-210508423
EMAIL ADDRESS lawfac@ug.edu.gh
University of Ghana, UG School of Law programmes
The UG law school runs three programmes. These are:
- Post-First Degree LLB
- LLM in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa
- LLM & M.PHIL in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Post-First Degree Bachelor of Laws(LLB)
The proposal for the conversion was first put forward and discussed several years ago. The suggestion was again made by the Academic Board in 1992 when it considered the Inter-Faculty Committee Report to Advise on Plans for the Development of the University and the 4-year degree Curriculum (The Acheampong Report).
The new programme was to be of a 2-year duration and was to allow students to have depth and range in their first degrees and free them to concentrate on Law subjects during the post-first degree programme. The Faculty submitted to the Academic Board a proposal to convert the existing LLB programme at the time, the 4-year first degree, to a Post-First Degree Bachelor of Laws with effect from the 2000-2001 academic year.
LLM Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa
This is a joint programme run by the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, and a consortium of African Law Faculties, coordinated by the Law Faculty of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Applications for this programme are received and processed at Pretoria. They attended seminars, conducted research, and wrote dissertations. As part of the program, they are also attached to some human rights organizations in Accra.
LLM/M.PHIL in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
An important component of the strategic plan of the Faculty is the development of postgraduate programmes that have relevance to the economic direction of the country. The programme has been introduced for the 2007/2008 academic year.
RATIONALE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMMES OF STUDY:
(a) Rationale The post-first degree programmes focus on developing talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law, as well as excellent leadership capabilities. Students are required to take courses in legal systems and methods, law of contract, constitutional law, law of torts, etc. The graduate programmes focus on community interactive teaching, learning, and research. Students are required to take courses in research methodologies in relation to human rights, etc, which will be tested in field work. This method will lead to the production of a new breed of human rights experts who will not limit their scope only to courtroom work but also to practical community work. The LLM Programme is designed to satisfy the needs of those not interested in pursuing academic or research professions. The M.Phil Programme will train students to fit into the contemporary international political and legal systems and into academic work.
(b) Goals. At the heart of the strategic statement of the Faculty is the achievement of certain core goals, critical to the aspirations of the Faculty: The introduction of courses designed to attract individuals, both Faculty and students, with the intellectual attributes required to assume leadership in their chosen spheres of endeavour.
- The production of top-quality students whose impact and contribution will be felt worldwide.
- Position to continuously provide legal and other professionals with the opportunity to update their skills.
- Encourage cutting-edge research into the Law as exemplified by international best practice and with a particular reference to its practice as it applies to Ghana and Africa.
- Taking academic excellence and translating it into practical application to real and relevant problems in society, business, government, and all aspects of societal life.
(c) Objectives LLB Programme:
- To provide the best education, training, and knowledge resources for the preparation of the legal minds and professionals of tomorrow.
- To develop talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law as well as excellent leadership capabilities, to provide quality service to all, in all spheres of endeavour, and in all circumstances.
- To contribute to the realization of the University’s mission by creating a congenial environment in which scholarship, innovation, intellectual excellence, and world-class legal minds are developed to meet national and global challenges.
LLM/M.Phil Programme:
- The student would have acquired advanced knowledge in the theoretical and practical aspects of human rights and humanitarian law.
- The student will be equipped with the knowledge to work at international organizations, international criminal courts, and also form and run human rights NGOs.
- Out of the new programme in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, for instance, the Faculty will be creating a crop of lawyers that will be relevant at the national, regional, and international levels and will work as prosecutors, researchers, and defence counsel at the International Criminal Tribunals.
How to apply to the University of Ghana School of Law
Ghanaian Applicants
University of Ghana online application E-VOUCHERS can be obtained by Ghanaian applicants for around GH¢150.00 at the following banks: Ecobank, HFC Bank, Agricultural Development Bank, Ghana Commercial Bank, Zenith Bank, Merchant Bank, UniBank, Prudential Bank, and Fidelity Bank.
International Applicants
International applicants should NOT buy the e-voucher. They should use the following link to access the online application form for completion and submission.
Online Application for International Undergraduate Applicants
All applicants are expected to pay to the University a non-refundable application processing fee of US$110.00.This fee can be paid directly or wire transferred into the University of Ghana ECOBANK Account. Details of the Account are: Account Name: University of Ghana Foreign Students Account Account Number: 0161014409780401 Bank Details: Ecobank Ghana Limited, Legon Branch Swift: ECOCGHAC
The pay-in-slips, together with applicants’ certificates/result slips, should be scanned and attached to the application form before submission online. The certificates/results slips should be scanned into one PDF or WORD document and attached to the application form.
Note that no application will be processed without proof of payment of the fee.
Before starting your application, we strongly recommend that you read and review this advertisement carefully, together with all relevant information and guidelines for prospective applicants. Please follow carefully all instructions given. You must submit your completed application forms online.
Applicants must, in addition, provide or submit the following required documents and/or materials DIRECTLY to the School of Law before the given application deadline, namely:-
- Two (2) copies of the ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE authenticated by the institution awarding the degree;
- Two (2) copies of your ORIGINAL ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT;
- Three (3) Academic Referee reports; Please provide, in your own handwriting, a candid evaluation of yourself as a person, discussing in order of importance to you the personal characteristics you feel are your strengths and those you feel are your weaknesses. The written self-evaluation must be signed by you with your usual signature.
- Two (2) recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photographs of yourself, with each bearing your full name as the same appears on all supporting documents and with your usual signature on the back thereof. The required colour photographs should be taken against a light coloured background; be clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed; they should be printed on normal photographic paper, and should show your full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons (but the face must not be covered).
- Application Confirmation Letter and
- Three (3) Self-addressed and appropriately stamped envelopes bearing the applicant’s contact telephone number(s) and the applicant’s serial number. (Applicants have the option to provide trackable return self–addressed envelopes.)
UG School of Law Entrance Examination
Qualified short-listed applicants will be expected to take a selection examination, which will attract a non-refundable examination fee of Ghana Cedis (GH¢) 150.00 for Ghanaian Applicants and United States of America Dollars (USD) 150.00 for International Applicants.
The date for the Entrance Examination will be announced in due course. Applicants who pass the Entrance Examination will go through an admission interview process. The University of Ghana and its School of Law are committed to maintaining the integrity of all programmes.
Please be aware that if you provide us with false, fraudulent, incomplete, or misleading information, your application runs the risk of being rejected or denied. Applications can only be formally considered when all required documents have been received no later than the notified closing deadline for submission of application forms
