The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Madina Constituency, Mr. Francis Xavier Sosu has expressed his willingness to partner the Centre for Practical and Multi-Disciplinary Legal Education and Training (CPMLET) at the UPSA for the implementation of a legal clinic programme and community lawyering project.
The legal clinic is a legal aid programme that aims at providing hands-on legal experience to law school students whilst the Community Lawyering Project will offer free legal services to members of the community.
The MP offered his support for the initiatives at a brief meeting with the Dean of the CPMLET, Mr. Godwin Adagewine.
Mr. Adagewine explained that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and agree on modalities for the implementation of the two initiatives. He said the legal clinic will enable UPSA law students to learn the law by doing the things that lawyers do under the supervision of professional lawyers.
This, he said, specifically entails the participation of law students in the provision of real legal services to clients under the guidance of qualified lawyers in order that students can acquire some practical skills.
With regard to the community lawyering programme, Mr. Adagewine explained that it entails working with communities to identify community problems and using the law to solve such problems, stressing that it will empower community members to seek legal redress for violation of their rights.
On why the CPMLET chose to embark on the partnership with Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu, Mr Adagewine explained that the MP possesses an extensive experience in community lawyering in Ghana.
On his part, Mr Francis Xavier Sosu said, he is excited to be part of the process of implementing what he called “a groundbreaking project relating to legal education and lawyering”.
He therefore expressed his willingness to actively support CPMLET to implement these two projects. Mr Sosu also offered to make facilities of his law firm available for the clinical legal education programme and the community lawyering project.
The meeting was attended by staff of CPMLET including Miss Gertrude Amarh, Programmes Coordinator, Isaac Addo Tetteh and Anthony Buawolor Tetteh, both Senior Administrative Assistants of the faculty as well as staff from F-X Law & Associates, Mr. Sosu’s law firm.
