The Ghana Agric Justice workshop, a collaborative initiative between the University of Ghana School of Law (UGSoL) and the Harvard Law School (HLS), commenced on Friday, January 10, 2025, with an informative and educative peer review and discussions at the Fiesta Royale Hotel.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, Dean of UGSoL, expressed gratitude to the participants and provided a concise overview of the Agriculture Law Clinic’s history and objectives. He highlighted the clinic’s potential benefits not just to lawyers, law students, and the Law Fraternity but to the nation, especially to farmers. “The purpose of this workshop is to reflect on 25 years of clinical experimentation and chart a course for developing the clinical curriculum for UGSoL” he stated. Prof. Atuguba further announced plans to formally launch the law clinic in June, emphasizing that it would be tailored to Ghana’s unique context and realities.
The workshop featured insightful presentations from professors and legal professionals from both institutions, focusing on critical issues at the nexus of law, agriculture, illegal mining (galamsey), and education. Contributions were also made by Prof. Justice Bawole, Dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), and Prof. George Acheampong, an associate professor at UGBS.
Following the group presentations, a dynamic question-and-answer session ensued, moderated by Prof. Atuguba, with Prof. Jennifer Rosenbaum and Prof. Sabrineh Ardalan of HLS serving as panellists. The group made a trip to Gomoa Kumasi where they engaged with the traditional leaders and stakeholders and a group of farmers. They paid a visit to a couple of farms; cocoa and cassava farms and a gari processing plant. These visits enabled them to interact with the farmers and were able to ascertain what their needs are and also observe firsthand what they (farmers) do and identify situations that need attention.
The Ghana Agric Justice Workshop reflects the shared commitment of UGSoL and HLS to fostering a more just and equitable society, with a particular focus on addressing challenges in Ghana's agricultural sector through the transformative power of legal education and practice.