A contract is legally binding only where it is entered into voluntarily by parties who freely consent to its terms. Consent must be real and genuine. Where a party’s agreement is procured by pressure, compulsion, or improper influence, the law treats such consent as defective. The result is that the contract becomes voidable at the instance of the affected party.
Under Ghanaian contract law, informed by common law and equitable principles, the doctrines of duress, undue influence, and unconscionable bargain exist to protect parties from unfair pressure and abuse of power in contractual dealings.