Business executive and former Unilever Executive Vice President Yaw Nsarkoh has raised concerns about what he describes as Ghana’s growing fixation on legal technicalities at the expense of real social impact.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, he said the country risks mistaking legal procedure for justice.

“The media have played a part in that as well; the rule of law is very important, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “If you’re going to have a disciplined society, you have to have a rule of law.”

But he argued that public discourse has become heavily skewed.

“But you just tune into any station, and everywhere we are talking about the technicalities of legal science without coupling it to what real impact we are looking for in society, how that is going to drive real development?”

According to him, legal processes are only a means to an end.

“Now the technicalities of legal science may be important, but the reason why the entire process for the delivery of administrative justice exists is to deliver justice in society.”

He questioned whether the current focus reflects lived realities.

“So if you have all the technicalities of legal science in place, which are necessary, but you have 20% of your population living in extreme poverty, is that justice?” he asked.

“If you have all the suffering and misery that is around us, is that justice?”

Mr Nsarkoh stressed that achieving justice requires a broader, multidisciplinary conversation.

“If you are going, therefore, to deliver real justice, it is not a matter that can be left to only the legal experts; you need all the other disciplines involved.”

He rejected narratives that attack lawyers but insisted they are only part of the solution.

“Because for you to get real justice in society, the lawyers have a role. I don’t participate in that conversation that demonises them.”

“But so do the sociologists, so do the philosophers, so do the peasants who are living their experiences. Where is that conversation taking place?”

He also criticised the media’s approach, arguing that excessive focus on legal jargon alienates ordinary citizens.

“But look at the amount of time that our media spends on the technicalities of legal science, which itself excludes many people because we are using such esoteric language that the ordinary people in the streets don’t even understand what you’re talking about.”