ABSTRACT
The final chapter moves beyond analysis, and my fieldwork and empirical research, to consider normative implications arising from this work and my exploration of legal pluralism. It suggests four ways of overcoming the tensions discussed in this study. These are: inclusive acknowledgement; the use of locally appropriate concepts of human rights; education; and the balancing of seemingly competing rights. Because I purposely dealt with cases largely from a grassroots level, my suggestions mainly focus on how to manage these tensions from below. The chapter thus addresses a significant scholarly and policy question: “How can the tensions be managed?” In this context, the chapter demonstrates that while legal pluralism as a legal concept provides scholars and actors with a descriptive or explanatory framework, it is also an essential means for addressing the tensions the study has identified. Significantly, it demonstrates that legal pluralism or the recognition of legal diversity itself is not a problem in Ghana; rather the use of it as a political instrument creates certain political and religious challenges in society.
