On Saturday, 12 July 2025, Legal Africa hosted a continental webinar under the bold and much-needed theme:
“Mental Health in African Law: Breaking Colonial Stress.”
Bringing together voices from law, psychology, and legal education, the webinar created space for one of the most vulnerable and long-avoided conversations in the African legal space: mental health.
From the courtroom to the classroom, participants heard raw, relatable truths about the emotional toll of legal practice and why we must now reimagine how justice and well-being coexist.
Speakers Who Led the Conversation
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Ms. Bako Jane Patricia – Lawyer and Counselling Psychologist, holding both an LLB and LLM from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
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Mr. Joshua Ntsutle – LLB student at the University of South Africa, representing the voice of young law students navigating intense pressures.
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Dr. Charlotte Omane Kwakye-Nuako, Esq., PhD – Clinical Psychologist and Legal Academic from the Department of Forensic Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Each speaker brought their personal and professional lens to the table, sparking reflection and connection among participants across the continent.
What We Heard: Key Takeaways
🔹 “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay”
Lawyers, judges, and law students face immense pressure, but many feel they must endure silently. The speakers emphasized that experiencing emotional exhaustion, burnout, and even hopelessness is not weakness — it’s human. Seeking help must be normalized.
🔹 The Hidden Personality Traits of Legal Professionals
From perfectionism and detachment to an overactive focus on clients at the expense of self, legal professionals often struggle under the weight of ambition and silence. Law tends to attract high achievers, but those same traits can also mask deep inner distress.
🔹 The Pressure Starts in Law School
“Think like a lawyer. Speak like a lawyer. Dress like a lawyer.” These unspoken rules, combined with overwhelming reading loads, competition, and isolation, sow the seeds of mental health challenges early on. The panel called for law faculties to rethink legal education with wellness in mind.
🔹 The Profession’s Glamour Is a Mask
The public perception of the legal profession as prestigious and powerful often hides the reality of mental strain, chronic pessimism, and burnout. Behind the suits and books are human beings silently battling breakdowns.
🔹 Why Don’t We Talk About It?
The answers are familiar: stigma, fear of judgment, and a legal culture that prioritizes performance over personal well-being. Many lawyers and students simply don’t feel safe being vulnerable.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The webinar made it clear: this conversation is long overdue and it can’t end here.
Legal Africa is committed to:
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Hosting quarterly mental health webinars and forums across Africa
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Collaborating with bar associations, law faculties, health institutions, and mental health professionals
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Developing co-branded mental health toolkits and wellness campaigns
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Creating safe spaces across borders where legal professionals can feel seen, heard, and supported
A Final Word
Mental health in law is no longer a private struggle it is now a public issue of justice and sustainability.
Because when those who carry the law are unwell, the people they serve are unprotected.
Let this be the beginning of a new era one where African legal systems no longer reward silence, but instead honor healing, humanity, and wholeness.
