The future of African customary law / edited by Jeanmarie Fenrich, Paolo Galizzi, Tracy Higgins.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A survey of customary laws in Africa in search of lessons for the future / Gordon R. Woodman -- The living customary law in African legal systems : where to now? / Chuma Himonga -- The future of customary law in Africa / Abdulmumini Oba -- The quest for customary law / Janine Ubink -- The withering province of customary law in Kenya : a case of design or indifference / George O. Otieno Ochich -- The "Code of Lerotholi" : using custom as an instrument of social and political control in Lesotho / Laurence Juma -- Traditional authorities : custodians of customary law development? / Manfred O. Hinz -- Engaging legal dualism : paralegal organizations and customary law in Sierra Leone and Liberia / Chi Mgbako and Kristina Scurry Baehr -- The future of customary law in Ghana / Joseph B. Akamba and Isidore Tufuor -- Traditional courts in the 21st century / Digby Sqhelo Koyana -- Demise or resilience : customary law and chieftainship in Botswana in the 21st century / Wazha G. Morapedi -- Traditional leadership and governance in modern Ghana : challenges, problems and opportunities / Ernest Kofi Abotsi and Paolo Galizzi -- Entrapment or freedom : enforcing customary property rights regimes in common law Africa / Sandra F. Joireman -- Romancing customary land tenure : the neo-liberal suitor wooing the shadow / Janet Chikaya-Banda -- Reform of customary law of inheritance and succession : the final nail in the customary law of inheritance and succession coffin? / Willemien du Plessis and Christa Rautenbach -- State systems of criminal justice and customary law crimes / Thomas Bennett -- Gacaca in Rwanda : customary law in case of genocide / Roelof H. Haveman -- Customary law, gender equality, and the family : the promise and limits of a choice paradigm / Tracy E. Higgins and Jeanmarie Fenrich -- African customary law and women's human rights in Uganda / Ben Kiromba Twinomugisha -- Women's rights, customary law and the promise of the protocol on the rights of women in Africa / Johanna Bond -- From contemporary african customary laws to indigenous African law : identifying ancient African human rights and good governance sensitive principles as a tool to promote culturally meaningful socio-legal reforms / Fatou Kiné Camara.

"Customary laws and traditional institutions in Africa constitute comprehensive legal systems that regulate the entire spectrum of activities from birth to death. Once the sole source of law, customary rules now exist in the context of pluralist legal systems with competing bodies of domestic constitutional law, statutory law, common law, and international human rights treaties. The Future of African Customary Law is intended to promote discussion and understanding of customary law and to explore its continued relevance in sub-Saharan Africa. This volume considers the characteristics of customary law and efforts to ascertain and codify customary law, and how this body of law differs in content, form, and status from legislation and common law. It also addresses a number of substantive areas of customary law including the role and power of traditional authorities; customary criminal law; customary land tenure, property rights, and intestate succession; and the relationship between customary law, human rights, and gender equality"--Provided by publisher.