Proceedings of the 36th International Academic Conference, London

THE THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF LAND DISPUTES IN GHANA: THE CASE OF THE DORMAA TRADITIONAL AREA

BENARD KWAME OPPONG-KUSI, KENICHI MATSUI, ADWOA OFORIWAA ANTWI

Abstract:

In Ghana, land disputes are ubiquitous largely because of its unique land tenure, governance, and management practices. Enduring land disputes are costly and have serious implications on the regional economic development and food security. In some parts of the country, land dispute issues took nearly three decades to reach court judgments. Ghana’s land disputes have been handled by both modern courts and traditional courts. This paper examines Ghana’s land dispute resolution mechanism in the Dormaa traditional area. We analyzed 11 court case proceedings, including those of High and Appeal courts. Our analysis found three major factor that triggered land disputes at court: (1) land trespassing (2) lack of clear ownership documentation (3) bias towards traditional owners or defendant. After discussing these with details, we recommend (1) land ownership documentation (2) the creation of more ADR centers.

Keywords: Land Dispute, Land Tenure, Dispute Resolution

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2018.036.033

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