Traditional Justice in Informal Urban Settlements in Accra, Ghana

• In Event: Informal Justice: Explorations Across the Globe

Abstract

Informal social justice – a process whereby people seek justice beyond the formal criminal justice system is an important concept in the social sciences. Whilst informal justice such as traditional (e.g. Chiefs) and religious authorities (e.g. Imams) has potential to improve justice in both urban and rural settings in developing countries due to limited opportunities to access the criminal justice system, informal social justice has received limited attention in the criminological discourse. Our main aim in this paper is to identify the users of informal justice mechanisms in a major slum in Ghana’s capital of Accra where both formal and informal justice systems co-exist. We seek to identify which slum residents access informal justice, and a broad range of experiences associated with the use of informal justice such as satisfaction with the processes and outcomes, and the legitimacy conferred to such institutions. Some implications of these findings to conflict resolution, gender empowerment and the criminal justice system will be discussed.

Authors

• Amy Nivette, Griffith University

• Thomas Akoensi, University of Kent