The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has called on members of the judiciary who are critical of the proposed Legal Education Bill to ensure their concerns are clearly framed, constructive, and focused on strengthening Ghana’s legal training system.

Speaking on Face to Face on Channel One TV, the Majority Chief Whip acknowledged that disagreement and debate are healthy features of democratic governance.

However, he cautioned that judges who publicly oppose aspects of the bill must be explicit about the capacity in which they are speaking.

According to him, there is a fundamental distinction between the constitutional role of judges and other professional roles they may occupy.

“Judges do not make laws; they interpret them. Lawmaking is the responsibility of Parliament,” he stressed. “Judges do not teach law in their capacity as judges.

They teach as lecturers. So they must stop confusing their role on the bench with their role in the classroom.”

Mr Dafeamekpor argued that when members of the judiciary speak on the bill, they should clarify whether their objections stem from their experience as legal educators rather than their judicial authority.

Doing so, he said, would allow lawmakers to engage more productively with their concerns and explain the policy rationale behind the proposed reforms.

“If you are criticising the bill as a teacher, then say so. Once that is clear, we can engage and explain the principles that informed the introduction of the bill,” he added.

He further emphasised that the national conversation around the Legal Education Bill should not be derailed by institutional tensions.

Instead, he said, discussions must remain centred on improving access to legal education, raising professional standards, and modernising the country’s legal training framework.

The Legal Education Bill, currently before Parliament of Ghana, seeks to reform Ghana’s legal education system, which has for years faced criticism over limited access to professional training, congestion at the Ghana School of Law, and concerns surrounding admissions and transparency.

Among its key objectives, the bill aims to clarify the roles of institutions involved in legal training, strengthen regulatory oversight, and introduce alternative pathways for law graduates to qualify professionally, all while safeguarding the integrity and standards of the legal profession.

Supporters of the bill argue that the reforms are necessary to expand opportunities for aspiring lawyers and align Ghana’s legal education system with modern realities, without compromising quality or ethics.