Law

Here, you have the opportunity to study the core foundation courses for a Ghanaian Law Degree in a dynamic interactive culture. You will also be able to pursue your own interests through a list of optional modules. Some cover technical legal courses, while others explore the relationship between law, development and society.

Studying Law at Lancaster University Ghana gives you the opportunity to gain a strong awareness of the social, political, cultural and historical dimensions of Law. Students benefit from the innovative teaching techniques alongside traditional methods of our highly experienced lecturers. Whilst studying this course, you will develop vital skills in giving presentations, public speaking and team work as well as research and writing skills.

Since its commencement in 2014, there have been over 160 students who have enrolled in this programme, with over 70 graduating till date. The profile for the Law Programme in Ghana has created a strong profile for Legal education in West Africa. Here are some of the highlights of the Law Department in Ghana.

There are a number of course based trips which allows students to experience some of the class discussions first hand. These trips include a visits to the High Court Complex, Accra or to a nearby District Court and a yearly visit to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons as part of the Ghana Legal System module.

Other course based trips include visits to the Ghana Arbitration Centre as part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution module and a visit to the ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ slum as part of the Environmental Law module.

Law Students get to participate in external mooting competitions such as the Phillip Jessup International Law Moot Competition, The Law Challenge Ghana Contest among others. In 2023, LUG law students were awarded the Spirit of the Jessup Competition following their first-time participation.

Our lecturers invite practicing lawyers into the classroom to deliver guest lectures as well as show students the practical side of their line of work. In the past we have had several respected individuals in society host, chair and speak to students at our events – some of which include: His Lordship Justice Anin-Yeboah, Justice Joseph B. Akamba of the Supreme Court of Ghana and Anas Ameraw Anas.

We host an annual Law Colloquium hosted where papers are presented by faculty of Lancaster University Ghana, University of Ghana, GIMPA, University of Cape Coast, KNUST, Kings University College, University of East London, University of Ilorin, UPSA as well as from faculty from Ghana, Nigeria & the United Kingdom. Past Colloquium Topics include: Law for Development, The Legal Profession in Ghana 60 Years on: Equipped, Relevant, Progressive and Ghanaian Law in the Last Decade: Developments, Insights, Structures and Reform.

The law department also hosts an Annual Disability & Development Conference. This conference is a multi-disciplinary conference hosted by the Lancaster Law Department looking at the themes of Disability and its relationship with the state and its impact on families. A Lancaster University Ghana Journal was launched at the 3rd Annual Conference. The conference is spearheaded by Maame Yaa Barnes, a respected member of our faculty who won the Mandela Washington Fellowship award for her contribution and work with PWD’s in Ghana.

Being a law student includes being part of the Law Society which is an exclusive club for all law students. It is a supportive community which allows for networking amongst peers and other professionals from a legal background. Each year, the university dedicates a week to the law students dubbed ‘Law Week’ (this is hosted by the Law Society). During this week the Law Society has various excursions, participates in moot courts judged by Senior Legal minds, host a student symposium – where they present different papers and articles as well as present their point of view and enjoy a day out of Accra to network with each other. The week is crowned off with a formal Law Week dinner.

Our degree is now recognised by the Nigerian Legal Council (NLC) as a qualifying law degree to enter the NLC. Since our students qualify from outside Nigeria they are required to take the Bar Part I exams before they are able to proceed to Bar Part II. Students who qualify from law degrees accredited in Nigeria are eligible to proceed straight on to bar Part II.

A number of our alumni are currently studying in the Nigerian Law School and have also been accepted into the Ghana school of law while some of them have gone on to further their studies in other countries such as Michigan and Kings University College for example.

For full details of the fees for this programme, and the University’s financial support packages including eligibility criteria, please click here.

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for 2024-entry study are not yet available, but you can use our opportunities for 2023-entry applicants as guidance.

Check our current list of scholarships and bursaries.

A host of assessments are designed to promote critical thinking and improving problem-solving skills. For our law programme, these include extended papers, examinations, presentations, reviewed negotiations and reflective reports

Our students also have a chance to submit formative coursework by which their progress is tracked and feedback received before they submit their final coursework.

Our Careers and Employability Department has a dedicated career zone for student to drop in. They also organise a range of workshops and activities through the academic year including CV workshops, mock interviews and an Annual Career Day to best prepare students for internship and job opportunities.

We are engaged in industry where our careers department support and groom students for internships in various sectors. Many of our graduates find jobs within the legal department of organisations or find themselves in well-respected law firms, others have been admitted into the Nigerian School of Law and the Ghana School of Law, while others have gone on to pursue their masters in law in various institutions.

One of our alumni success stories is that of Alfred Momodu (class of 2017). He spent the past year working as a teaching and research assistant with our Law Department and has recently began his LL.M. studies at the University of Michigan Law School as a recipient of the prestigious Michigan Grotius fellowship. The Grotius Fellowship is awarded to several particularly exceptional LLM students and research scholars, the fellowships acknowledge superior academic and professional achievement in all areas of law and recognize the promise of a distinguished legal career following graduate study.

“A Lancaster degree is a global door opener, and is respected amongst the elite institutions of the world.” Alfred Momodu, Class of 2017

Law is jurisdictional, what this means is that each law programme offered in a particular place is tailored to meet the requirements of that particular place/ country. This is especially the case with undergraduate law programmes. Our graduates, although they get a UK degree will receive a number of exemptions to qualify in the United Kingdom and get the chance to further their education in other countries.

At Lancaster University Ghana (LUG) you can receive a UK degree whilst you learn Ghanaian Law.