The internet and lawyers in Ghana: some initial qualitative perspectives

Abstract

Purpose

To contribute to the internet use literature with particular respect to lawyers. This current study seeks to investigate qualitatively, the impact of the internet on the work of lawyers in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Following several other empirical studies in the general information systems arena, a qualitative design was adopted for this study. A second motivation for adoption of this design was the fact that this research was exploratory in nature and it was the opinion of the researchers that this case study will provide rich insights into the formulations of research propositions for a larger study on internet use and legal practice in Ghana. Interviews were conducted with lawyers who had been called to the bar for before 2003 (we needed to be sure that these lawyers had been practicing for at least two years). Lawyers employed in law chambers, private sector institutions, international organizations, law consultancies, public sector institutions and the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana were contacted as potential respondents for this qualitative study. The first five lawyers in each category who accepted to do the interviews were used as respondents for the study. In all 25 lawyers were interviewed and their views on internet use in respect of the legal profession in Ghana formed the basis of the empirical discussions in this paper.

Findings

Seventy‐eight per cent of the lawyers interviewed agree that the internet improves their productivity. Eighty‐eight per cent of respondents indicated that the internet is useful as a communication tool, whilst 76 per cent of the respondents considered the internet to be very important for getting information. In respect of generating business contacts, it seems the internet (online technologies) is just as important as brick – and – mortar strategies for attracting and retaining clients.

Research limitations/implications

Study has proved invaluable in hypothesis formulation for a larger study on internet use amongst Ghanaian lawyers in 2006. Ultimately, it could give indications for the conduct of e‐business adoption studies amongst lawyers in Ghana.

Originality/value

One of the few studies that focuses on internet adoption by lawyers in a developing country context.

Citation

Hinson, R., Atuguba, R., Ofori, D. and Fobih, J. (2007), "The internet and lawyers in Ghana: some initial qualitative perspectives", Library Review, Vol. 56 No. 4, pp. 311-322. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530710743534