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The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned in no uncertain terms the practice of the wealthy and the rich people taking advantage of the Ghana Legal Aid Scheme at the expense of the poor in Ghanaian society. It said the Scheme has been set up under the 1992 Constitution and Act Act 542 (1997) for the purpose of assisting the poor and needy to present their cases in court and to resolve disputes. The Association noted, however, that some rich people equipped with information on the mechanism or operations of the Scheme and the difficulties of the Legal Aid Board take advantage of it in litigation thus depriving the poor of the opportunity to seek justice and legal assistance. The Vice-President of GBA, Mr Peter R. Zwennes, delivering a lecture as part of activities to mark the Student Representative Council (SRC) Week of the Mountcrest University College in Accra, described the practice as unfortunate saying it detracts from the legitimacy and functioning of a stable democratic society. On the theme, �Accessing Legal Aid: The Role of the Legal Profession,� the lecture brought together legal professionals, academics, students and other stakeholders in legal aid to educate the public on the essence of legal aid in Ghana. The Legal Aid Scheme enable members of society especially those who cannot afford to have access to justice and legal representation as contained in Articles 14(2) and 19(2)(f) of the Constitution. Mr Zwennes urged the Board of the Scheme to take steps to ensure that the poor benefit from the Scheme. He called on lawyers to rekindle their interest in rendering pro bono (free) legal services to the poor and not focus on the monetary benefits of their practice. The Founder and Director of Mountcrest University College, Mr Kwaku Ansa-Asare, who is a former Director of the Ghana School of Law expressed grave concern about the proposed classification of admissions into the Ghana School of Law, the body mandated to train legal practitioners in Ghana. Under the new policy under consideration only students with First Class and Second Class (Upper) will be allowed entry into the Ghana School of Law to become professional lawyers. Mr Ansa-Asare said the policy if pursued will deprive hundreds of people the opportunity of becoming lawyers for the mere reasons that they could not obtain First Class and Second Class (Upper) divisions in Bachelor of Law Degree. He noted that some of the best Chief Justices, judges, law lecturers and lawyers the country has produced did not obtain first class and second class (uppers) yet they have distinguished themselves in the legal profession in the country and internationally. Mr Ansa-Asare who is also the founder of Readwide Company and one time Registrar of the Ghana School of Law was also not happy with the mode of legal training saying that a lot of emphasis is placed on academic work rather than practice. He urged the Ghana Bar Association to consider making law students Associate members of the Bar to whip up their interests and guide them to be committed to the Association. Professor Emmanuel K. Quansah, Acting Dean of Law Faculty and Deputy Rector of the Mountcrest University College who chaired the function, said apart from the academic knowledge acquired from school it also moulds students character and commended the SRC of the School for their worthy initiatives. The President of the SRC, Mr Charles Kwaku Minkah, announced plans by the SRC to foster stronger relationship with their colleagues from University of Ghana, Legon and other Law Faculties to deepen their interest in legal aid. The SRC also presented a citation to Mr Zwennes and Mr Alhassan Yahaya Seini, Director of the Ghana Legal Aid Scheme for their roles in promoting legal aid in Ghana.