Accra, April 17, – Former Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo has called for reforms in legal education to strike a balance between quality and quantity in the training of lawyers in Ghana.
She said while it was important to produce enough lawyers to meet national demand, greater emphasis must be placed on maintaining high professional standards.
Speaking at the launch of the Supreme Court’s 150th anniversary celebration at the Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Legon, she stressed that quality should not be sacrificed for numbers.
“Now that there is a new law coming out, let us hope that it is going to strike a proper balance so that there is going to be quality assurance while at the same time giving the numbers. But if you must sacrifice anything, sacrifice the numbers,” she said.
Justice Akuffo noted that strengthening legal education would ultimately improve the quality of judges and the justice system as a whole.
She added that producing well-trained lawyers was essential to building a strong judiciary that the country could rely on.
The former Chief Justice also highlighted the growing influence of technology, including artificial intelligence, on the legal profession, urging the judiciary to adapt and innovate.
“We must make sure that with AI, every aspect of technology, the judiciary must adapt, innovate and we must re-imagine constantly how the judiciary can do best,” she said.
She further expressed support for the Supreme Court’s 150th anniversary celebrations and encouraged continued collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen the justice system.
Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Ocquaye, also speaking at the event, urged judges to uphold integrity and avoid corruption, stressing that the judiciary must maintain the highest ethical standards.
He commended efforts to improve judicial efficiency, including proposals such as shift systems for courts, and referenced international examples such as India.
He also cautioned against overreliance on tribunals, urging that regular courts remain central to the justice system.
The anniversary celebration, under the theme “The Supreme Court of Ghana@150: Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Defining the Future,” marks 150 years since the establishment of the Supreme Court in 1876.
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