Alternative dispute resolution for juveniles in crime : a case for Ghana’s legal system

Abstract

This research sets out to explore the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Ghana's juvenile justice system, emphasizing traditional customs and practices to solve juvenile delinquency. The mixed-method approach was used for this study carried out in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents with some experience in the juvenile justice system. Interviews were conducted, and questionnaires were administered to gather data. The study discovered that Ghana's legislations address juveniles' needs; however, violations of the fundamental human rights of juveniles and of victims of juvenile crime continuously undermine the juvenile justice system. It was found that magistrates and legal practitioners knew about restorative justice. Nevertheless, an absence of viable options to exercise restorative justice meant that only a minority of legal practitioners practiced it. All these factors have contributed to creating dissatisfaction with Ghana's legal system among members of the public. The need then arises for restorative justice approaches within Ghana's juvenile justice system that appropriately address the needs of the juvenile, victim, and community affected by the crime. The study discovered a legal framework for Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms in Ghana's juvenile justice system. Moreover, the results indicate that people prefer alternative legal pathways to the formal criminal justice system. The research revealed that customary dispute resolution systems are viable alternatives to the conventional justice system. They offer restorative justice to parties who appear before them to settle their disputes and are equipped to deliver justice to the juvenile justice system. Moreover, integrating customary dispute resolution with the juvenile justice system would enhance achieving juvenile justice and positively address juvenile delinquency in Ghana. As a contribution to the existing sources of knowledge, the study reveals the need for viable options for prosecution and detention of juveniles due to a shortage in options for diverting juveniles. It also reveals a lack of confidence in child justice panels by magistrates, legal practitioners, and members of the general public. The study recommends enacting legislation to increase diversions for juveniles from the formal justice system and co-opt traditional authorities into the juvenile justice system.

Hierdie navorsing is daarop gemik om die gebruik van Alternatiewe Geskilbeslegtiging in Ghana se jeugregstelsel te ondersoek, met die klem op tradisionele gebruike en praktyke om jeugmisdaad op te los. Die gemengde-metode benadering is gebruik vir die navorsing wat gedoen is in Kumasi, die hoofstad van die Ashanti-streek van Ghana. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om respondente met 'n mate van ervaring in die jeugregstelsel te selekteer. Onderhoude is gevoer en vraelyste is gebruik om data in te samel. Die studie het ontdek dat Ghana se wetgewing jeugdiges se behoeftes aanspreek maar skendings van die fundamentele menseregte van jeugdiges en slagoffers van jeugmisdaad ondermyn egter voortdurend die jeugregstelsel. Dit is bevind dat landdroste en regspraktisyns bekend is met herstellende geregtigheid. Nietemin weens die afwesigheid van lewensvatbare opsies om herstellende geregtigheid uit te oefen, beteken dit dat slegs 'n minderheid van hulle dit beoefen. Al hierdie het daartoe bygedra om ontevredenheid met Ghana se regstelsel onder lede van die publiek te skep. Die behoefte ontstaan dan vir herstellende geregtigheidsbenaderings binne Ghana se jeugregstelsel, wat die behoeftes van die jeug, slagoffer en die gemeenskap wat deur die misdaad geraak word, gepas aanspreek. Die studie stel ‘n wetlike raamwerk voor vir alternatiewe geskilbeslegtingsmeganismes binne Ghana se jeugregstelsel. Boonop dui die resultate daarop dat mense alternatiewe regsweë bo die formele strafregstelsel verkies. Bevindinge van die navorsing het aan die lig gebring dat tradisionele geskilbeslegtingstelsels lewensvatbare alternatiewe vir die konvensionele regstelsel is. Tradisionele geskilbeslegtingstelsels bied herstellende geregtigheid aan partye wat voor hulle verskyn om hul geskille te besleg en is toegerus om geregtigheid aan die jeugregstelsel te lewer. Boonop sal die integrasie van tradisionele geskilbeslegtingstelsels met die jeugregstelsel die lewering van jeuggeregtigheid verbeter en die oplossing van jeugmisdaad in Ghana bevorder. As 'n bydrae tot kennis, onthul die studie die behoefte aan lewensvatbare opsies vir vervolging en aanhouding van jeugdiges weens 'n tekort aan afleidingsopsies vir jeugdiges. Dit openbaar ook 'n gebrek aan vertroue in kinderregspanele deur landdroste, regspraktisyns en lede van die algemene publiek. Die studie beveel aan dat wetgewing ingestel word om afleidings vir jeugdiges van die formele regstelsel te verhoog en tradisionele owerhede in die jeugregstelsel te koöpteer.

Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola ukusetshenziswa kOkunye Ukuxazululwa Kwengxa-bano ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa lwezingane lwaseGhana, kugcizelelwa indima yamasiko nezinqubo zendabuko ekuxazululeni ubuhlongandlebe bezingane. Kus-etshenziswe indlela exubile ocwaningweni. Ucwaningo lwenziwa eKumasi, inhloko-dolobha yeSifunda sase-Ashanti eGhana. Ukusampula okuhlosiwe kwasetshenziswa ukukhetha abaphenduli ababenolwazi oluthile ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa lwezin-gane. Kwenziwa inhlolokhono futhi kubhalwa imibuzo ukuze kuqoqwe imininingwane. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi umthetho waseGhana ubhekelela izidingo zezingane; nokho-ke, ukwephulwa kwamalungelo abantu ayisisekelo ezingane kanye nezisulu zobugebengu bezingane kuhlale kubukela phansi wuhlelo lwezo-bulungiswa lwezingane. Kwatholakala ukuthi izimantshi kanye nabameli babenolwazi ngobulungiswa bokubuyisela esimeni. Kodwa-ke, ukungabikho kwezinketho ezisebenzayo zokusebenzisa ubulungiswa bokubuyisela esimeni kwakusho ukuthi idlanzana kuphela labo ebelikwenza lokho, okudala ukunganeliseki ngohlelo lwe-zomthetho lwaseGhana phakathi kwamalungu omphakathi. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuveze isidingo sezindlela zobulungisa bokubuyisela esi-meni ngaphakathi kohlelo lwezobulungiswa lwezingane zaseGhana ezizobhekana ngokufanele nezidingo zezingane, izisulu kanye nemiphakathi ethintekile ngenxa yobugebengu. Kwakhelwa uhlaka lomthetho Lwezinye Izindlela Zokuxazulula Izingxabano ngaphakathi kohlelo lwezobulungiswa lwezingane lwaseGhana. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imiphumela yocwaningo iphakamise ukuthi abantu bancamele ezinye izindlela zomthetho ohlelweni olusemthethweni lwezobulungiswa bobugebengu. Okutholwe ocwaningweni kubonise ukuthi izinhlelo zendabuko zokuxazulula izingxa-bano ziyindlela esebenzayo esikhundleni sohlelo lwezobulungiswa oluvamile. Izi-nhlaka zendabuko zokuxazulula izingxabano zinikeza ubulungiswa bokubuyisela esi-meni esimisiwe ezinhlangothini ezivela phambi kwazo ukuze zixazulule izingxabano zazo futhi zihlonyiselwe ukuhlinzeka ngosekelo ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa lwezin-gane. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlanganisa ukuxazululwa kwezingxabano ngokwesintu nohlelo lwezobulungiswa lwezingane kungathuthukisa ukulethwa kobulungiswa kwezingane futhi kusize ukuxazulula ubuhlongandlebe bezingane eGhana. Njengomnikelo olwazini, ucwaningo lwembula isidingo sezinketho ezisebenzayo zo-kushushiswa nokuboshwa kwezingane ngenxa yokushoda kwezinketho zokupham-bukisa kwezingane. Iphinde yaveza ukuntula ukwethemba ithimba lezobulungiswa ezinganeni phakathi kwezimantshi, abameli kanye namalungu omphakathi jikelele. Kwenziwa iziphakamiso zokuthi umthetho ushaywe ukuze kunyuswe ukupham-bukiswa kwezingane ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa olusemthethweni nokwenza kube nokwenzeka ukuthi iziphathimandla zendabuko zifakwe ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa lwezingane.