When ten-year-old Abiba Nangtomah stood trembling in a small Accra courtroom, she wasn’t there because she had done wrong. Her parents were gone, her guardians had abandoned her, and the system had failed her.
When the judge asked who represented her, a young lawyer, Benjamin Boaten from the Legal Aid Commission, rose and said quietly, “My Lord, I appear for the child.” That simple act of courage and compassion changed Ama’s life. She was not punished—she was protected. Today, she is in school at Abetifi and dreams of the day she will be called to the bar. Like 824 lawyers were last week.
Ghana does not have too many lawyers. It has too few opportunities for them to serve. More white wigs must mean more justice, more fairness, and more safety for our citizens. The courtroom is not the only place where the law must live; it must be felt in the streets, villages, and homes of our people.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Legal Aid Commission, created under Act 977, continues to struggle for funding, logistics, and attention. From 2020 to 2025 alone, more than 5,000 lawyers have been called to the Bar. That’s an untapped force for national transformation.
As someone who has practised law for over twenty-three years, I have seen both the power and the paralysis of our legal system. We have the talent, the passion, and the training—but not the structure to channel them toward public good. Every year, young lawyers search for work while poor citizens face court alone, widows lose property to injustice, and remand prisoners wait endlessly for trial.
Ghana needs a National Legal Service Corps—a structured public service where every newly called lawyer serves six to twelve months providing legal assistance to those who cannot afford it. Whether in district courts, family tribunals, or rural communities, their service will strengthen the rule of law while shaping them into more compassionate professionals. Law faculties and the Ghana School of Law should also expand clinical legal education so students begin serving long before they graduate.
Other countries have made this work. South Africa’s Legal Aid South Africa employs thousands of lawyers to defend indigent citizens. Kenya’s National Legal Aid Service and India’s NALSA send lawyers and students into villages to educate and represent the poor. These nations recognise that access to justice is not a luxury—it is a public duty.
Ghana’s Legal Aid Commission can be revived through innovation—digital platforms that connect lawyers to clients, partnerships with private firms to provide mentorship and resources, and tax incentives for lawyers who offer pro bono services.
After twenty-three years at the Bar, I remain convinced: if we deploy our lawyers wisely, Ghana will not only become more lawful—it will become safer, fairer, and better for all.
Authored by: Kofi Asmah
He is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and consultant with the World Bank Group.
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