The 2025 valedictorian of the University of Ghana School of Law, Alhassan Aboagye, has called for the integration of Islamic values into Ghana’s legal system.
Speaking on the Islam in Focus Show on Radio Univers, Aboagye argued that the adversarial nature of courtrooms and litigation often conflicts with Islamic teachings, and that the legal community should work toward upholding such values.
“One unfortunate and somehow notorious perception about law and legal education in Ghana is that those in the field are corrupt, and so it is not ideal for Muslims and others. Islam teaches very good principles like integrity and honesty, so when I came into it, I made sure that these Islamic principles would always be my guide.”
“Let us approach law from a different angle. Let us advocate more for alternative dispute resolution, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and others as ways to promote peace in our communities,” he said.
He also noted that long-held stereotypes that law is not meant for Muslims or is reserved for the privileged must be challenged thereby urging members of the Muslim community to shift their mindset about pursuing a career in law.
“Doing law is something that, especially in our Muslim community, we think is not for us, so oftentimes we have to leave it for some other people particularly those who are from other religious backgrounds and those who are from privileged backgrounds. But it is time for us to change the narrative,” he said.
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Story by Habibata Maltiti Husein | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Michelle Lartey
