Claim: Masters of Law in Professional Legal Practice qualifies one as a Solicitor of England and Wales
Source: Sam George (Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation)
Verdict: False
Researched by Gifty Danso
On May 6, 2026, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, shared a video of his graduation ceremony on X after being awarded a Master’s of Law in Professional Legal Practice from the University of Law in England.
In the post, the minister claimed that the degree “qualifies me as a Solicitor of England and Wales.” This generated significant engagement on the platform, with a number of users in the comments section questioning whether a Master’s in Law (LLM) is an automatic route to becoming a solicitor. At the time of filing this report, the post has garnered 215.1K views, 200 comments, 1.9K likes, and 49 bookmarks.
This report will fact-check whether obtaining a Masters of Law in Professional Legal Practice qualifies a person to be a Solicitor in England and Wales.
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Fact-check
The LLM in Legal Practice is listed among Postgraduate law courses offered by the University of Law. Further more, the course description states that it only prepares graduates to pass the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE), and not an automatic route for one to become a Solicitor in England and Wales.
What is the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE)
The SQE is a centralised set of examinations for aspiring Solicitors in England and Wales. Introduced in 2021 by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (the body that regulates solicitors in England and Wales) the SQE has now become the route to qualifying as a solicitor, although there are exemptions for those who may have started the process before September 2021 through the Legal Practice Course (LPC).
Checks with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority
GhanaFact did some checks with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA), seeking to know whether the minister was on their roll of solicitors. In an emailed response, the regulator said a solicitor named Samuel George had been on their roll since August 16, 1999. This person can’t be Ghana’s minister of communications, as he only had his Master’s degree in law in 2026.
The SRA added that a degree alone does not qualify one as a solicitor.
“You can find out if a solicitor or firm is regulated by us on our Solicitors Register. Please note that individuals who wish to qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales must do more than simply possess a degree,” the SRA email stated.
GhanaFact also reached out to the minister on X and Facebook to understand whether he had taken or was preparing for the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam. However, we did not receive a response.
Verdict:
The minister’s claim that the Masters of Law in Professional Legal Practice qualifies him as a Solicitor of England and Wales is false.
