INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW (LL.M. & M.A.)

MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW & MASTER OF ARTS (M.A.) IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW (LL.M. & M.A.)
The world is in the information age, the fourth industrial revolution, and IT permeates all aspects of human experience.
Every economy requires the proper implementation of information technologies to bolster growth and sustain its development process by raising productivity and efficiency in all other sectors of the economy. However:
What are the top-down high level issues of technology and the responses of law to technology required to ensure that the economy has the policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, and the right practitioner approaches essential to facilitate economic growth? and,
What are the bottom-up concepts of law, computer systems and technology trends that must be mastered for innovative participation in the creation of policy and regulatory structures; and the successful implementation of private and public sector IT projects; with contextual local and regional impacts on economic growth?

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
To help answer the need to facilitate economic growth, the University of Ghana School of Law’s M.A./LL.M. IT Law programme adopts both top-down and bottom-up approaches to train public and private sector leadership and managerial staff with the objectives to:
1.    Equip students with mastery over basic legal and computer system concepts essential for advanced studies in IT Law and for the confident handling of IT language and issues;
2.    Explore the responses of law to issues of information technology;
3.    Situate the issues of law and technology in the student’s local and regional contexts, aligned with AU and AfCFTA goals;
4.    Build and instill valuable employability skills that can be readily applied to a wide range of careers in the fields of IT Law and FIDIC in public and private sector projects;
5.    Challenge students for creative thinking on legal and non-legal (ethical, social, cultural, economic) approaches to the regulation of technology.

 


COURSE DURATION
One (1) Academic Year

Venue: University of Ghana – Accra City Campus, Adabraka.

Format: Hybrid (in-person and online lectures)

Time:

  • Mondays – Thursdays: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Fridays                        3:00pm – 8:00pm

 

Fees:

  • GHS 22,355.00 (Ghanaians)
  • USD 9,178.00 (Non-Ghanaians)
  • GHS 2,445.00 (Admission Processing Fees)

 

          

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
•    First degree from a recognized university.
•    Shortlisting/Interview.
•    M.A. – proven interest, exposure or experience in IT (prior knowledge in law not required).
•    LL.M. – degree in law (prior IT knowledge is required).

 


PROGRAMME STRUCTURE:

The two semester programme comprises lectures, seminars, field visits, job fairs and dissertation. There are core, required and elective courses. Continuous assessment shall be the main mode of examination. Students are therefore expected to actively participate in topical seminars and make innovative contributions on legal and non-legal approaches to policy and regulation of technologies within their own contexts. Research works leading to dissertations and papers are expected to be selected according to student interests and of practical benefit to student-chosen institutions. Industry practitioners shall facilitate seminars and job fairs to increase student exposure to the job market and industry needs.

PROGRAMME CONTENT
The M.A./LL.M. IT Law programme includes the following core courses:
Cyber Law – basic computer concepts, Internet governance, Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution (UDRP), cybercrimes, cybersecurity law, fake content, deep fake, metaverse, quantum computing.

Online Privacy and Data Protection – privacy in the African value system, protection and control of data access, surveillance, online anonymity, social media and reputation, cross-border data transfers.

Communications Law – communications as an economic driver; convergent regulations; liberalization, competition and industry efficiency; universal service, net neutrality, content liability; generational networks – 4G, 5G, 6G ...

e-Commerce – traditional contracts and commerce in cyberspace; gig economy, zero-hour contracts; electronic, crypto and virtual currencies – blockchain, bitcoin, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs); Crypto currency mining, the environment and climate change; search engines; marketing and online behavioural advertising; creative industries.

e-Governance – digitalization and the Internet, impact of ICT on the public sector, e-government and international institutions, FIDIC coloured books in construction contracts, paperless drives, e-democracy, smart cities, directing and managing e-governance projects.

Technology Transfer – beneficial and non-beneficial transfers, global corporate transfer practices, funding and commercialization models of transfers, transfers in small and micro enterprise settings, local content requirements, investment promotion drives.

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Law – practical creation of Artificial Intelligence systems; embodied and unembodied robots; legal relevance of AI in Africa; search engines; driverless cars, drones, care and assistive robots; Internet-of-Things (IoT); robotic/human interface; conventional legal doctrines of jurisdiction, personhood, culpability, liability, ownership and rights revisited.

 

 

 

Contact Details:
Website: https://law.ug.edu.gh
Email: lawschool@ug.edu.gh
Phone Numbers: +233 (0) 30 396 3750 / +233 (0) 30 395 8555