Dear Reader,
The question on the eligibility for police recruitment escaped my attention. I apologise for it. Please see some information below.
Qualifications and Competencies
• Must be a Ghanaian citizen by birth with no criminal record.
• Hold SSSCE/WASSCE Certificate with four (4) credits including English Language and at least a pass in Mathematics.
• A minimum age of 18 and not more than 25 years.
• Physically fit by Police standards
• Of a minimum height of 1.73 metres (5ft 8in) for Males and 1.63 metres (5ft 4in) for Females
How to Apply
Interested candidates should pick up application forms from the various Regional and District EMS Offices scattered across the country, complete them and send through the EMS system to the address below. An application fee of GHC20.00 is to be paid at the EMS Offices. All applicants who were previously shortlisted are requested to re-apply, produce receipts of previous payments and pay the difference of GHC9.00.
The Director-General/HRD
Ghana Police Service
Police Headquarters
P O Box GP 116
Accra
For more information, see the Ghana Police Service website here.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Pupillage, Specialization and Developing Areas of the Law in Ghana
1. While the law on the legal profession has provisions on pupillage, there are no fine detail on how it must be done. It is one's choice whether to do pupillage in a specializing law firm or an all-practice law firm - of course, one must be good enough to be recruited first by the law firm. There are not a whole of of firms in Ghana specializing. It even appears to me that - in the more developed countries - there is a move-back from specialization to all-practice 'boutique' firms again. You have to decide where you want to do your pupillage for yourself - bearing in mind what you want to practice in. Personally, I would more likely advise an all-practice.
2. There is no reason why you cannot specialize in "crime, contracts, employment, corporate law and wills & probate." But you may make the practice more 'rounded' by putting employment under corporate - because that is how it works usually - and doing family law - instead of just W & P. You need to think about whether you want to do criminal law together with the rest - which are all civil law. There are many factors of workload. One may be how many areas of practice you take up. I suspect however that the bigger factor is simply the quality of your clientele, complexity of matters you are dealing with and numbers of matters too.
3. Pupillage runs for 6 months - sometime after you are called to the bar in Ghana. It does not have to be immediate but - without it - there is a solicitor's certificate you need - but cannot obtain - to practise. You can only lawfully do pupillage under a lawyer who has practised the law for at least 7 years. Most people like to do their pupillage immediately after the call to the bar.
4. It is difficult to call any area of the law developing as such in this emerging economy. Let me rather tell you about industries which are promising - and they will need legal advice! Telecommunications is hot - I think. The financial services are hot too. There are many Small and Medium-Scase Enterprises in need of day-to-day legal guidance in all manner of matters. I have to say Oil-and-Gas too, although I admit I have a personal skepticism about whether it will really become 'hot'. I think 4 out of every 5 post-graduate degrees obtained by Ghanaian lawyers now will be in Oil-and-Gas. M&As are still not big in Ghana. Competition law is nascent at best. On another level - dispute resolution - Arbitration is fast gaining on Litigation as the preferred means of resolving disputes, especially by medium and big corporations.
2. There is no reason why you cannot specialize in "crime, contracts, employment, corporate law and wills & probate." But you may make the practice more 'rounded' by putting employment under corporate - because that is how it works usually - and doing family law - instead of just W & P. You need to think about whether you want to do criminal law together with the rest - which are all civil law. There are many factors of workload. One may be how many areas of practice you take up. I suspect however that the bigger factor is simply the quality of your clientele, complexity of matters you are dealing with and numbers of matters too.
3. Pupillage runs for 6 months - sometime after you are called to the bar in Ghana. It does not have to be immediate but - without it - there is a solicitor's certificate you need - but cannot obtain - to practise. You can only lawfully do pupillage under a lawyer who has practised the law for at least 7 years. Most people like to do their pupillage immediately after the call to the bar.
4. It is difficult to call any area of the law developing as such in this emerging economy. Let me rather tell you about industries which are promising - and they will need legal advice! Telecommunications is hot - I think. The financial services are hot too. There are many Small and Medium-Scase Enterprises in need of day-to-day legal guidance in all manner of matters. I have to say Oil-and-Gas too, although I admit I have a personal skepticism about whether it will really become 'hot'. I think 4 out of every 5 post-graduate degrees obtained by Ghanaian lawyers now will be in Oil-and-Gas. M&As are still not big in Ghana. Competition law is nascent at best. On another level - dispute resolution - Arbitration is fast gaining on Litigation as the preferred means of resolving disputes, especially by medium and big corporations.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Contacting the Ghana School of Law
For those wishing to contact the Ghana School Law, you can reach the office of the Registar on the numbers below:
+233 302 66 32 46
+233 302 66 77 06
to ask all your questions.
I am sorry it took this long to post, but I have been ill and also had a minor domestic accident.
+233 302 66 32 46
+233 302 66 77 06
to ask all your questions.
I am sorry it took this long to post, but I have been ill and also had a minor domestic accident.
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Average Starting Salary for Lawyers in Ghana?
Um, I do not consider this as within the scope of Makola law. Of course, there is no secrecy about it, and if you email me at david.asiedu@gmail.com, I can give you my opinion on that. But I would like to limit this blog to strictly the scope provided above. Thank you.
Setting Up a Consultancy in Ghana
Unfortunately, this question goes beyond the 'House Rules' set out above, and are beyond the scope of this blog. Consider engaging a Ghana-qualified lawyer to provide the service "as a legal service".
Friday, October 29, 2010
Qualifying to Study Law in Ghana
I can only, for now, speak with some authority about the University of Ghana and the KNUST.
At the University of Ghana, law is a 2-year postgraduate course. It does not really matter in which subjects the degree is. But one needs to get a good GPA. I believe you generally must have a 2:1 or 1. Not sure about a 2:2 but I will check on that.
The 3-stage process involves an application form, a written exam and interview (for short-listed people).
At the KNUST, law is a course for both undergrads (4 years) and postgrads (3 years). For postgrads, I reckon the qualification is pretty much similar to the University of Ghana, though I do not believe they have an interview system. For undergrads, a good qualification from your SSSCE is what you require.
I will try and find out about Zenith College and provide information on that.
At the University of Ghana, law is a 2-year postgraduate course. It does not really matter in which subjects the degree is. But one needs to get a good GPA. I believe you generally must have a 2:1 or 1. Not sure about a 2:2 but I will check on that.
The 3-stage process involves an application form, a written exam and interview (for short-listed people).
At the KNUST, law is a course for both undergrads (4 years) and postgrads (3 years). For postgrads, I reckon the qualification is pretty much similar to the University of Ghana, though I do not believe they have an interview system. For undergrads, a good qualification from your SSSCE is what you require.
I will try and find out about Zenith College and provide information on that.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Multiple Signatures
Primarily a person's signature is their name or other identifier written in their own hand. Of course, many prefer to write out some or all of their names in some obscure fashion to make it difficult to duplicate. As a result, a person could have as many signatures as they are able to change their handwriting.
A signature (from Latin signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent (Credit: Wikipedia).
Whether a person has one distinct signature or several of them is not as important as the intent with which a person uses different signatures. If a person is under suspicion of trying to hide their identity or of committing fraud, then the fact that they have different signatures may be seen as circumstantial evidence of their intent to hide their identity or to commit a crime.
Many people do have at least 2 signatures - one for their daily endeavours and one for some other purpose (e.g. banking). I have personally been witness a bank asking a customer to simplify his signature as it was difficult for them to ascertain its genuineness if it was too complex!
Having more than one signature is not of itself any less legal than having different names. The critical matter is the reason why a person has more than one signature and the uses to which the signatures are put. If a person has more than one signature, it is good that they have a group or groups of people who know and recognise each signature as belonging to that person.
A signature (from Latin signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent (Credit: Wikipedia).
Whether a person has one distinct signature or several of them is not as important as the intent with which a person uses different signatures. If a person is under suspicion of trying to hide their identity or of committing fraud, then the fact that they have different signatures may be seen as circumstantial evidence of their intent to hide their identity or to commit a crime.
Many people do have at least 2 signatures - one for their daily endeavours and one for some other purpose (e.g. banking). I have personally been witness a bank asking a customer to simplify his signature as it was difficult for them to ascertain its genuineness if it was too complex!
Having more than one signature is not of itself any less legal than having different names. The critical matter is the reason why a person has more than one signature and the uses to which the signatures are put. If a person has more than one signature, it is good that they have a group or groups of people who know and recognise each signature as belonging to that person.
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