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Study on the impact of digital access to legal texts and court decisions - Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Sénégal and Kenya
This study investigates the impact of digital access to legal texts and court rulings in three West African countries—Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal—drawing on Kenya as a comparative reference for best practices in judicial digitalisation. It assesses how digital technologies affect judicial performance and citizens’ access to justice in diverse national contexts.
The analysis combines documentary research with qualitative data from interviews conducted with key actors across the three focus countries, including judges, lawyers, court staff, civil society representatives and researchers. It examines both the operational performance of legal systems (e.g. efficiency, transparency, accessibility) and the perceptions of those involved in or affected by justice delivery.
The study reveals that while Kenya stands out with a well-functioning, officially mandated legal information platform (Kenya Law), the situation in Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire remains more fragmented. In all three West African countries, digitalisation has shown promise—improving access to court decisions, reducing delays, and enhancing transparency—but is hindered by infrastructure gaps, high internet costs, regional disparities, and the lack of legal recognition for certain platforms (e.g. GhaLII in Ghana).
Ghana demonstrates notable progress through institutional reforms and court automation initiatives, while Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal continue to face major structural and coordination challenges. Across countries, digital services remain concentrated in urban centres, limiting equitable access for rural and marginalised populations.
The study concludes with recommendations to strengthen infrastructure, enhance platform governance, support legal and institutional frameworks, and promote inclusive access. These
measures are essential for realising the full potential of digitalisation in delivering fair, transparent, and accessible justice systems.
Author: Fama, Dieng/FD
Co-author: Marc Gnahoré
Co-author: Ismaël Kouassi Yayi Oka
Co-author: Eric Osae
Co-author: Eisenberg, Ewald
Co-author: Schweizer, Clemens | ORCID: 0009-0006-5281-9116
Institution: University of Applied Sciences Kehl | Centre: West African German Centre for Local Governance in Africa (CEGLA)
Type: Book | English
Subjects: Governance, Law, ICT
Date: May 2025 | Pages: 81
Copyright: University of Applied Sciences Kehl | License: CC BY 4.0
