KNUST Faculty of Law
Encyclopedia
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Faculty Law is the second law school
to be established in Ghana
. It is under the College of Art and Social Sciences
.
to be established in Ghana, was designed to provide education, for scientists and technologists. At the initial stages the courses that were provided at degree level were those that would best serve the needs of those target groups. Since the graduates of the university have to function in society, the Faculty of Social Sciences was established to offer courses in liberal arts and social sciences. In the early part of 1970 a tiny department of law was established in the Faculty of Social Sciences to teach land law as a 'core' subject in the BSc Land Economy and Management programme. Not long afterwards a combined honours degree of Economics/Law, Sociology/ Law, Geography/Law etc. was developed. The Department of Law also taught law courses in other faculties of the university. In 2002, the university decided that the social sciences faculty must undergo modern transformation, allowing a Faculty of Law to emerge. In April 2003, the Council of KNUST approved a 4 year LLB programme and the first cohort of LLB students were admitted into the Faculty of Law in August 2003.
l3At KNUST we aim at providing training in law and promoting the development of a distinctly Ghanaian body of law through teaching and research. The courses that we offer have been designed to equip students with a broad and comprehensive background which will enable them on graduating, to engage in a wide range of professions and services to society. The graduates of the law faculty will undoubtedly fulfil the manpower needs of the country as graduates of law are required not only to practise law, but to work in important sectors of the economy.
The faculty is also committed to the integration of skills into the curriculum. By this we mean the acquisition of intellectual skills (research, analysis and problem-solving); transferable skills (study & communication, skills, time-management and group work; and legal skills (drafting, research, advocacy, interviewing and negotiation).
Although students will encounter many of these in the context of the professional practice course, such skills are also seen as relevant to the undergraduate degree. They are tools by which law and the legal process can be understood. They also equip students to move towards a career in law.
l9 Assessment on the LLB programme follows university regulations and consists of written coursework, oral presentations and examinations. Where appropriate group work as well as individual performance is assessed. In each course, students will know in advance the assessment criteria used. Whenever possible assessment is used as a means of supplementing the student’s learning experience.
Students have access to photocopying, microfilm and microfiche equipment, commercial databases on CDROM and the library’s own databases, which will be developed as a basis for a Ghana legal information service.
The library staff develop and maintain the collections, on a reserve and loan system; they help students to find the meanings of legal citations, and to locate the cited material. They train students in using a wide range of printed and electronic indexes and databases.
l93The service priority of the Library staff is to assist students to use efficiently the reference and research materials that are professional tools of successful lawyers.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is a university located in Kumasi, Ghana.It is the second public university established in the country. The University has its roots in the plans of the Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I to establish a university in Kumasi as part of his drive...
Faculty Law is the second law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
to be established in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It is under the College of Art and Social Sciences
College of Art and Social Sciences (KNUST)
The College of Art and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology consist of Five Faculties and a Research Centre. It was established by the University Statute, Statute 33, which was promulgated on 29 October 2004. The Provost officially assumed duty on 17 th December...
.
History
KNUST, the second public universityPublic university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
to be established in Ghana, was designed to provide education, for scientists and technologists. At the initial stages the courses that were provided at degree level were those that would best serve the needs of those target groups. Since the graduates of the university have to function in society, the Faculty of Social Sciences was established to offer courses in liberal arts and social sciences. In the early part of 1970 a tiny department of law was established in the Faculty of Social Sciences to teach land law as a 'core' subject in the BSc Land Economy and Management programme. Not long afterwards a combined honours degree of Economics/Law, Sociology/ Law, Geography/Law etc. was developed. The Department of Law also taught law courses in other faculties of the university. In 2002, the university decided that the social sciences faculty must undergo modern transformation, allowing a Faculty of Law to emerge. In April 2003, the Council of KNUST approved a 4 year LLB programme and the first cohort of LLB students were admitted into the Faculty of Law in August 2003.
l3At KNUST we aim at providing training in law and promoting the development of a distinctly Ghanaian body of law through teaching and research. The courses that we offer have been designed to equip students with a broad and comprehensive background which will enable them on graduating, to engage in a wide range of professions and services to society. The graduates of the law faculty will undoubtedly fulfil the manpower needs of the country as graduates of law are required not only to practise law, but to work in important sectors of the economy.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Throughout the LLB programme, students are encouraged to become actively engaged in the learning process. Courses will be delivered in a variety of ways including lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and moots. All teaching methods will attempt to achieve a common aim (the building of knowledge, experience and understanding). Students will be expected to participate fully in all activities from attendance at lectures and tutorials to individual and group work in workshops and moot exercises. There will be regular use of case studies as vehicles for exercising particular topics, for example, Introduction to Trial Advocacy Course requires students to act out a simulated case, and to learn the taking of instructions to the trial of the matter. In the Law of Contract, a case study is used to illustrate various aspects of the law including the formation, terms, discharge and remedies. Again, students will be involved in oral presentations as well as written submissions.The faculty is also committed to the integration of skills into the curriculum. By this we mean the acquisition of intellectual skills (research, analysis and problem-solving); transferable skills (study & communication, skills, time-management and group work; and legal skills (drafting, research, advocacy, interviewing and negotiation).
Although students will encounter many of these in the context of the professional practice course, such skills are also seen as relevant to the undergraduate degree. They are tools by which law and the legal process can be understood. They also equip students to move towards a career in law.
l9 Assessment on the LLB programme follows university regulations and consists of written coursework, oral presentations and examinations. Where appropriate group work as well as individual performance is assessed. In each course, students will know in advance the assessment criteria used. Whenever possible assessment is used as a means of supplementing the student’s learning experience.
Law Library
The Law Library is an essential part of the law programme. In developing the library collections, the faculty has two priority objectives: to provide a comprehensive, research level, retrospective and current collection of Ghanaian and African law materials; and to provide the classic professional texts relating to other common law countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.Students have access to photocopying, microfilm and microfiche equipment, commercial databases on CDROM and the library’s own databases, which will be developed as a basis for a Ghana legal information service.
The library staff develop and maintain the collections, on a reserve and loan system; they help students to find the meanings of legal citations, and to locate the cited material. They train students in using a wide range of printed and electronic indexes and databases.
l93The service priority of the Library staff is to assist students to use efficiently the reference and research materials that are professional tools of successful lawyers.