THE USE AND IMPACT OF DIGITAL FORENSICS EXAMINATION IN THE

GHANAIAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Awareness of Digital forensics examination

1. Tell me about your professional background.
a. What is your current job title?
IT AND LAW Expert (Lawyer)

b. What are your primary job duties?

I mostly deal with cases for my firm in relation to IT and other cyber-related cases.

c. How long have you been a (digital forensics examiner/attorney)?

8 years
2. Do you feel your knowledge of digital forensics is adequate to fulfil your job duties?
Yes. In my current position, I need to understand all the various protocols governing the
Forensic environment.
3. The following questions are related to common knowledge of digital devices/technologies.
a. Please name a few items you would consider to be digital evidence.
Personal files on all electronic gadgets Eg. Phones, Tablets, computers, your cloud accounts
etc.

b. How do you primarily learn about emerging technologies?

 Seminars
 Research
 Colleagues in the industry

4. On a scale of 1 to 5 describe your familiarity with IT, computers, and forensics.

Where 1= low; 2=below average; 3=average; 4= above average; 5=High

1 2 3 4 5
Digital Evidence 4
Computer Forensic Process 3
Computer Technology 4
Internet Applications 4

5. Do you feel the involvement of forensic evidence, in general, makes a case more or less
complicated than a case not involving forensic evidence?
Yes
 a. Why do you feel this way?
From a lawyer with an IT perspective. I feel our side of the country has a very low
understanding of the digital environment and how they affect our daily lives.
For many Judges, the forensics component of evidence gathering, and analysis is
relatively new and complicated. This makes defending a case more complicated to
handle.

b. Does your feeling depend on the type of forensic evidence?

Yes

8. (Attorneys only) Have you ever used a digital forensic expert to assist in any of your cases?
a. What types of services did they perform? (Case review, forensic analysis, reporting,
testimony, etc.)
Case Review, Reporting, Testimony
b. What characteristics of the individual helps in admitting him/her as an expert witness in
court?
Mostly the court may require expert witnesses from some specific area or industry.
c. What were the factors that prompted you to consider or hire such an expert?
I needed more clarity on the scenarios and how that particular crime could have
happened.
d. In what ways, if any, did you find the court's expert helpful?
In almost every way. As lawyers, we are required to tender all evidence to the court and
also to the accused person or the lawyer of the accused person.
Some of the evidence may go a long way to either incriminate or free the suspect.

e. How, if at all, do you think that the use of such an expert affected the outcome of the
case?
In all cases I have been on, the expert witness finding and testimony have played a major role in
proving my cases.
9. Tell me about recommendations that you might make to other judges to improve their own
knowledge and awareness of digital forensic evidence.
1. Training
2. Opening our minding to the complexity of our environment.
3. More stakeholder engagements in the area of forensics.
10. In general, how do you think the use of the digital forensics method has influenced the
delivery of justice in our court?
Well, I believe this is a grey area for a lot of people, both the law enforcement agency, lawyers,
Judges, IT professionals and even the common person on the street of Ghana. Therefore more
sensitization needs to take place. This will open up more discussion in that area of digital
forensic.
Digital Forensics (Digital forensic scientist only)
10. Is there any standardized procedure you follow during any forensics examination?
11. What procedure do you use during forensic examinations?
12. Do you use any software/application/algorithm to extract evidence from a digital device?

Factors Influencing Digital forensics

13. From a scale of 1 to 5 describe how the following influences digital forensics investigation.
Where 1= low; 2=below average; 3=average; 4= above average; 5=High

Factors 1 2 3 4 5
Heterogeneous sources of data 4
Expanding the diversity of digital devices 5
Diversity of data 5
anti-forensics (such as artefact wiping, data hiding, trail 5
obfuscation, data encryption, and attacks against
computer forensics tools and processes)
Big volume of data 5
Legal requirements such as compliance with the law 5
Efficiency of digital forensic departments 5