An exploration of litigants’ interactions with court actors in Ghanaian courts

• Published in: Forensic science international. Mind and law Vol. 4; p. 100119
• Main Authors: Kwakye-Nuako, Charlotte Omane, Parimah, Feikoab, Davour, Makafui Jonas, Owusu Ansah, Kenneth, Adade, Abigail, Adih, Prince, Ross, Audrey Nyameye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-12-2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Corruption; Court officials; Defendant; Judges; Judicial system; Lawyers; Litigation; Plaintiff; Plaintiff; Corruption; Litigation; Defendant; Court officials; Judicial system; Lawyers; Judges
• ISSN: 2666-3538; 2666-3538
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fsiml.2023.100119

Studies have sought to understand the experiences of litigants who use the court system. However, very few have looked at their specific interactions with court actors in Sub-Saharan African countries. In this study, we sought to explore the interactions that litigants have with lawyers, judges, and court workers during the process of civil litigation in Ghana. The study used a qualitative phenomenological design and a criterion sampling technique to select seventeen litigants involved in civil litigation in a Ghanaian court. Using thematic analysis, we found that litigants had confidence in the judicial system. In terms of lawyers and court actors, the participants were ambivalent about their interactions with them. Whereas some had been supportive, others drained their resources and were not altogether altruistic. We discuss these findings and make recommendations for improving litigant experiences.
•This study explored the interactions that litigants have with court actors in Ghana.•Seventeen litigants were interviewed in the Law Court Complex in Accra, Ghana using a qualitative approach.•Themes such as confidence in judicial system, ambivalent views on court workers, and lawyer-client relationship were extracted.