University of Ghana UG School of Law programmes

The School of Law runs three programmes. These are:

Post-First Degree LLB
LLM in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa
LLM & M.PHIL in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF EACH PROGRAMME OF STUDY.
Post-First Degree Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
The proposal for the conversion was first put forward and discussed several years ago. The suggestion was again made by the Academic Board in 1992 when it considered the Inter-Faculty Committee Report to Advise on Plans for the Development of the University and the 4-year degree Curriculum (The Acheampong Report).
The new programme was to be of 2-year duration and was to allow students to have depth and range in their first degrees and free them to concentrate on Law subjects during the post-first degree programme.
The Faculty submitted to the Academic Board, a proposal to convert the the existing LLB programme at the time, the 4-year first degree to a Post-First Degree Bachelor of Laws with effect from the 2000-2001 academic year.
LLM Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa
This is a joint programme run by the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana and a consortium of African Law Faculties, coordinated by the Law Faculty of University of Pretoria, South Africa. Applications for this programme are received and processed at Pretoria. They attended seminars, conducted researches and wrote dissertations. As part of the programme they are also attached to some human rights organizations in Accra.
LLM/M.PHIL in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
An important component of the strategic plan of the Faculty is the development of postgraduate programmes that have relevance to the economic direction of the country. The programme has been introduced for the 2007/2008 academic year.

RATIONALE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMMES OF STUDY:
(a) Rationale
The post-first degree programmes focus on developing talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law as well as excellent leadership capabilities. Students are required to take courses in legal systems and methods, law of contract, constitutional law, law of torts etc.
The graduate programmes focus on community interactive teaching, learning and research. Students are required to take courses in research methodologies in relation to human rights etc, which will be tested in field work. This method will lead to the production of a new breed of human rights experts who will not limit their scope only to court room work but also to practical community work. The LLM Programme is designed to satisfy the needs of those not interested in pursuing academic or research professions. The M.Phil Programme will train students to fit into the contemporary international political and legal systems and into academic work.

(b) Goals
At heart of the strategic statement of the Faculty is the achievement of certain core goals, critical of the aspirations of the Faculty:
The introduction of courses designed to attract individuals, both Faculty and students, with the intellectual attributes required to assume leadership in their chosen spheres of endeavour.

The production of top quality students whose impact and contribution will be felt worldwide.
Position to continuously provide legal and other professionals with the opportunity to update their skills.
Encourage cutting edge research into the Law as exemplified by international best practice and with a particular reference to its practice as it applies to Ghana and Africa.
Taking academic excellence and translating it into practical application to real and relevant problems in society, business, government and all aspects of societal life.

(c) Objectives
LLB Programme:

To provide the best education, training and knowledge resources for the preparation of the legal minds and professionals of tomorrow.
To develop talented individuals with fully developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the law as well as excellent leadership capabilities to provide quality service to all, in all spheres of endeavour and in all circumstances.
To contribute to the realization of the University’s mission by creating a congenial environment in which scholarship, innovation, intellectual excellence and world class legal minds are developed to meet national and global challenges.

LLM/M.Phil Programme:

The student would have acquired advanced knowledge in the theoretical and practical aspects of human rights and humanitarian law.
The student will be equipped with the knowledge to work at international organizations, international criminal courts and also form and run human rights NGOs.
Out of the new programme in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law for instance the Faculty will be creating a crop of lawyers that will be relevant at the national, regional and international levels and will work as prosecutors, researchers and defence counsel at the International Criminal Tribunals.