Imbibe ethical principles-Legal practitioner to 499 inducted GSL students

A private Legal practitioner, Mrs. Sheila Minka-Premo has charged the 499 newly inducted students of the Ghana School of Law to imbibe ethical principles such as honesty, confidentiality, integrity, and fairness in order to become ethical lawyers.

Also, she urged them to become lawyers who will uphold the confidentiality of their clients in order not to breach the Oath of the profession.

“Professional ethics are key in ensuring an independent, competent and effective legal profession.” 

“A lawyer commits misconduct if he discusses or permits to disclose without his client’s consent any confidential information to him or his firm by or on behalf of his client,” she noted.

Speaking at the induction of the 499 Law Students into the Ghana School of Law on Friday, Mrs. Minka Premo further urged the students to be lawyers who will open up other legal avenues to their clients and not always resort necessarily to litigation.

“From the knowledge of the law, a lawyer can see that a matter can easily be settled without going to court. You must let the client know. Going the litigation way which takes a lot of time and money is not always the best way for the client.,” 

The 499 law Students were officially inducted into the Ghana School of Law at a ceremony last week at the GSL main campus.

A Justice of the High Court, Justice Sheila Mintah led the students to take the induction oath.

Background

After the announcement of qualified students into the Ghana School of Law in 2021, the issue of some 499 students who alleged to have been shortchanged despite achieving the 50% threshold for admission into the Ghana School of Law, became widely publicized and discussed.

There were protests, demonstrations, and petitions to various institutions including the Presidency by these groups of students to press home their concern, which was to be given a fair deal like their colleagues.

Additionally, these students resorted to the Law Courts to legitimately get their concerns addressed.

Eventually, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame acting on the direction of the President of the Republic, ordered the General Legal Council to admit these 499 Law Students into the Ghana School of Law.