It is no surprise that The Gambia Law School has become popular to many undergraduate law students over the years.
This is because of the increasing number of law students who want to enter the Ghana School of Law which has a relatively limited capacity. The Gambia Law School, having a legal system analogous to Ghana’s, is approximately a 1-year intensive course. The course usually starts in late October and ends in August of the following year.
Application forms for same can be found on the school’s website for students to purchase and the procedure is also stated on the website. To the best of her knowledge, GT Bank is the most convenient bank now to aid with swift payments though some charges apply.
The fee during my time in 2017 was $8,000.00 excluding dinner fees and accommodation. Accommodation was approximately between $1,500 – 2,500 for the period, however, this is relative depending on which area you choose to live. My colleagues and I had to go to The Gambia earlier to stay in hotel for a bit while looking for accommodation and this is was a bit difficult due to the fact that it was the tourist season in The Gambia.
The educational system in The Gambia is Common Law, similar to that in Ghana. Their lecturers are very good and very strict, especially with their lectures and dress code. They are equally strict with punctuality, particularly during the Law dinner. For example, if you miss the time scheduled for the law dinner, you will not be called to the Bar whether you pass your exam or not.
Students should not take the course lightly because there are Ghanaians that have gone to The Gambia failed in 2 courses or more and have had to repeat the course or return to Ghana without finishing. Expectedly, if you repeat, you are going to pay some fees again. That is heartbreaking because it takes you back to where you started, if not worse emotionally or financially.
The Gambia in a whole is a peaceful country and they respect Ghanaians a lot. They watch Ghanaian movies and TV channels. Students will find that aside educational purposes they will have so much exposure to their tourism, culture and values.
After The Gambia law school, the student may apply to the Ghana School of Law for the Post-Call course which is also for the same period of one year. As at 2018, the fee at the Ghana School of Law was approximately GHS 36,000.00.
The hard truth is entering into The Gambia law school is quite competitive because it is relatively a small school which caters for their small population. As such slots available for foreigners are usually limited. During my time only 20 foreign students gained admission. In very recent times however, it appears they have increased their intake of foreigners.
It will be instructive to note that this information is to the best of my knowledge. I do not have any authority or permission from either schools to give any information on their behalf. This is purely to aid those who have found it difficult to understand the process.
Contributor: Lawyer Adwoa Amoako Adjei Khairallah
The author is a novelist and private legal practitioner who had part of her legal education at The Gambia Law School. Views in this article are entirely the author’s.