Ghana needs more lawyers-Chief Justice nominee

Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has called for an overhaul of the country’s legal education framework, warning that Ghana is producing far too few lawyers to meet its national needs.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie rejected suggestions that the legal profession was overcrowded, arguing instead that Ghana faced a critical shortage of qualified lawyers.

He explained that, despite the rising number of admissions in recent years, the total number of lawyers in the country still falls below 15,000, with fewer than 5,000 in private practice.

“When measured against Ghana’s population, the ratio is roughly one lawyer to 7,000 citizens. We are way below what is needed. We actually need more lawyers,” he said.

The nominee attributed the perception of an oversupply to the heavy concentration of lawyers in Accra, saying many communities outside the capital remain underserved.
He urged regulators to expand admissions and establish more regional law faculties to improve nationwide access to justice.