Abstract:
This study explores the communication styles and strategies used in the legal
process of the election petition in 2012. The researcher sampled six days of
court sitting of the 2012 election petition as data and used Glaser and Strauss‘
(1967) constant comparative technique of content analysis to analyze the data.
Guided by Beke‘s (2014) litigation communication theory and Aristotle‘s
theory of rhetoric, the researcher discovered that lawyers used hostile style, soft
style, and conversational style to cross-examine witnesses. Also, the lawyers
used persuasive appeals such as logos (questioning, speech-making), pathos
(impression management and non-verbal cues) and ethos (cultural reference
personalization) to cross-examine witnesses as well as persuade audience. It
was further established that the communication styles and strategies used were
effective in eliciting the truth, background information, and specific information
from witnesses to support the election petition. The researcher recommends that
further studies on communication and legal processes are useful in building a
robust field of research that could inform the practice of litigation
communication in Ghana specifically, and Africa in general. This study adds to
knowledge on effective communication strategies for cross-examining
witnesses during election petitions.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Strategic Communication,
School of Communication and Media Studies submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Strategic Communication)
in the University of Education, Winneba
OCTOBER, 2022
