Ghana School of Law PLC: Criminal Procedure (GLC) study guide
Ghana School of Law PLC: Criminal Procedure (GLC) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Criminal Procedure is a core paper in the Ghana School of Law's Professional Law Course, the vocational stage that Ghanaian law graduates must complete before qualifying for the Bar. The exam is written and problem-based: candidates are given fact patterns or essay prompts and must apply the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459), the 1992 Constitution and binding Supreme Court authority to reach a reasoned answer. The Ghana School of Law PLC: Criminal Procedure (GLC) study guide has 10 sections and about 4,464 words.
01Constitutional foundations and fair trial rights in criminal process
This domain tests whether you can anchor every procedural step in Chapter 5 and Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution rather than in Act 30 alone. Problem questions describe police or court conduct and ask what right is engaged, what consequence follows, and what remedy is available.
487 words, about 2 min02Arrest, search, seizure and safeguards against unlawful detention
This domain is examined through scenarios: a warrantless search, a caution statement obtained after hours of questioning, a suspect held without a station diary entry. The examiner wants the source of the power, the limit on it, and the consequence of breach.
526 words, about 3 min03Bail and remand practice
The exam tests the judicial exercise of discretion: what a court weighs, when bail should be refused, how a remand is lawfully ordered, and how conditions are varied. Bail in Ghana is governed by the bail provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1960 (Act 30), now to be read alongside the 2023 abolition of the death penalty for ordinary crimes such as murder, treason, genocide and piracy, which replaced it with life imprisonment.
496 words, about 2 min04Criminal jurisdiction and venue of Ghanaian courts
This domain tests two questions: which court has power to try the offence, and in which locality the trial should take place. Both are jurisdictional and cannot be cured by consent.
443 words, about 2 min05Commencement of criminal proceedings, charges, informations and indictments
The exam tests whether you can draft a valid charge and attack a defective one without overstating the consequence of the defect. Summary trial: commenced by a charge sheet in the District or Circuit Court, supported by the first information and witness statements.
437 words, about 2 min06Preliminary proceedings, case management and disclosure
This domain tests the pre-trial stage: committal in the District Court, case-management directions, and the prosecution's disclosure obligations. For indictable offences, a District Court conducts committal.
404 words, about 2 min07Trial procedure, plea, evidence presentation and submission of no case
This domain tests the running order of a criminal trial and the precise standard for a submission of no case. The charge is read and explained in a language the accused understands.
439 words, about 2 min08Appeals, review and revision
This domain tests the routes of challenge, the time limits, and the differing powers of an appellate court and a supervisory court. A convicted person may appeal against conviction, sentence, or both.
443 words, about 2 min09Sentencing, sentencing guidelines and other post-conviction orders
This domain tests whether you can build a lawful sentence from the statutory framework through to the ancillary orders. The statutory maximum, and any mandatory minimum, sets the outer limit.
386 words, about 2 min10Legal ethics, professional responsibility and practice management in criminal litigation
This domain tests the lawyer's dual duty to the client and to the court, and the management of a criminal practice. Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32); Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1968 (L.I.
403 words, about 2 min