The Origins of the Contemporary Juvenile Justice System in Ghana

Abstract

The origin(s) of the contemporary juvenile justice system in Ghana could be traced to the country’s colonial era just like most modern criminal justice institutions in Africa. Colonization and its consequent introduction of English education, laws, administration, and Christianity challenged the traditional agencies for maintaining social control and the system of justice. But to fully appreciate the new juvenile justice system that was introduced, one must first appreciate the system that was in place in the precolonial era. Based on an analysis of secondary sources, this article argues that the systems in place during both the colonial and precolonial periods were reflective of a particular perception of children in each era.