Ghana Advances Major Governance Reforms: Constitutional Review and Legal Education Overhaul Take Center Stage

Ghana’s political and legislative landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as the government moves to finalize the long-awaited constitutional review and overhaul the nation's legal education system. President John Dramani Mahama recently convened a special Cabinet meeting to deliberate on a draft position paper regarding recommendations from the constitutional review process. This paper, developed by the Attorney General and the President’s legal team, aims to determine which proposals the government will adopt, amend, or reject. Unlike a commission of inquiry, this process will result in a public position paper rather than a white paper, followed by the establishment of an implementation committee to oversee the constitutional amendments and administrative changes.

In a landmark legislative achievement, the Legal Education Reform Bill, 2025, has been signed into law, effectively ending the decades-long monopoly of the Ghana School of Law. The new law permits accredited institutions and universities to provide professional legal training, addressing the persistent crisis of limited admission spaces for LLB graduates. Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, highlighted the bipartisan cooperation that led to the bill's passage, noting significant contributions from the Minority. While the reform has been praised by policy advocates like Senyo Hosi and legal experts at GIMPA, lecturers such as Clement Akapame have urged a phased implementation to address potential ambiguities in program definitions and the development of paralegal structures.

Beyond legal education, the government is pursuing transparency and social reforms through various legislative instruments. The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has proposed a new Legislative Instrument that would make public officers personally liable for fines if they block information requests, a move intended to curb institutional non-compliance. Concurrently, a proposed bill for compulsory DNA testing at birth has sparked a national debate over paternity transparency versus family stability. On the regulatory front, the Legal Resources Centre is urging commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders to regularize their operations ahead of a new framework that will allow commercial use under strict safety, insurance, and licensing conditions pending final parliamentary approval.

Internal party politics are also shifting as major factions prepare for future cycles. Within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), members have petitioned leadership against 2026 internal election guidelines that restrict public officeholders from contesting party positions, arguing such rules violate constitutional rights to political participation. Meanwhile, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has launched a rebranding strategy centered on the industrialization legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to attract younger voters. These diverse political movements—ranging from constitutional updates to party restructuring—signal a period of intense institutional evolution aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic accountability and expanding access to professional opportunities.