The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) held a five-day mobile clinic at the Madina market in Accra, on December 4th to 8th 2023. The clinic was conducted under a project entitled “Provision of legal aid and Paralegal Services,” supported by the German Development Corporation (GIZ).
The purpose of the mobile clinic was to provide free legal and educational services to the Madina community in a convenient and accessible way. The Madina market was a prime location for this clinic since it is a busy and bustling hub in Accra, Ghana.
The clinic aimed to increase the community’s understanding of the law. Informational materials were given to those who visited the clinic, equipping them with a deeper knowledge of the legal system and processes.
The legal consultation aspect of the clinic used private areas for the consultations to ensure the confidentiality of the individual seeking advice. The consultations were conducted by paralegals who provided legal advice to community members.
The consultations promoted alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as solutions to legal conflicts. Alternative dispute resolution techniques are advised because they are much more cost-effective and less adversarial than court intervention. In matters where alternative dispute resolution was not an appropriate route for individuals, paralegals would refer them to Legal Aid Commission offices where they could obtain access to free legal action.
An overwhelming majority of the community members who participated in the clinic were females rather than males, emphasizing the legal and accessibility concerns in the Madina community. Further analysis of the clinic suggested that the main legal issues among the community in Madina included land disputes, rental disputes, child maintenance, marital issues, and labor and employment disputes.
The community members who visited the clinic voiced concerns about a lack of trust in the criminal justice system and a lack of awareness concerning legal rights and processes. Therefore, future programming should focus on enhancing legal awareness and the approachability of legal and government bodies. Legal information must be distributed throughout communities to ensure understanding and awareness of legal rights and processes.
The LRC’s mobile clinic successfully enhanced legal literacy and aid in the Madina community and obtained analysis that will inform and benefit future legal education and programming.
