The legislature and good governance from a human rights perspective: a comparative study of Ghana and South Africa

Abstract

"The study is divided into six chapters. Chapter one introduces the study, by looking at the background factors contributing to the poor governance in Africa. The chapter sets off with the problem, objective, and motivation of the study. The chapter sets out the hypotheses of the study, the methodology used, and the review of the available literature. The chapter concludes with the clarifications of concepts used in the study. Chapter two makes a brief background legislative history by looking at the past constitutional frameworks and the political systems that might have influenced the Legislatures of the two countries. The chapter continues with the current constitutional frameworks of both countries and examines the Legislatures established under them. Chapter three starts with the crux of the study - the roles of both Legislatures and delves into their representation and participation roles. The chapter assesses the medium of representation and extent to which the general public gets involved and participates in the deliberations of the LG and LSA. Chapter four looks at the law-making role. The chapter looks into how through legislaiton both Legislatures flesh out their constituitonal values to create more tangible boundaries within which their citizens conduct their lives. Chapter five looks into the oversight role over the executive. The chapter looks into the mechanisms in place to oversee the executive, and to hold them to account on their performances. Chapter six concludes the study with a summary. It makes a comparative analysis of the LG and LSA. The chapter tests the hypotheses of the study. It looks also at the challenges of both Legislatures. The chapter concludes with recommendations aimed at effective performance of the Legislature in Ghana and South Africa." -- Chapter 1.