Following the Money
Understanding Forum Shopping and the ‘Justice Marketplace’ in Sierra Leone
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12282911 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Simeon Koroma (0009-0006-3157-9707, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 328-350 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social & Legal Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0964-6639 • E-ISSN: 1461-7390 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/09646639231195312 |
| OpenAlex | W4386094356 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 31 |
Monetary expenses are said to prohibit poor rural litigants from accessing official justice institutions, which are often concentrated in urban centres, thus pushing these litigants towards customary forums. At the same time, the alternative customary courts have been shown to cost more than formal justice institutions such as official magistrates courts. This article examines the economics informing litigants’ choices of judicial forums to contribute to a new analysis beyond state-centred legal pluralism. It argues that how money features in cases at barrays – the unofficial, unrecognised, customary courts in the capital city of Sierra Leone – not only explains why ordinary people engage with (extra)legal processes, but also demonstrates how justice is understood and (re)produced in practice
Capital (architecture · Economic Justice · Legal pluralism · Legal profession · Legal realism · Political science · Sierra leone · Socioeconomics · Sociology · State (computer science · History · Judicial and Constitutional Studies · Land Rights and Reforms · Law · Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems · Public Administration
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |