African Legal Theory and Contemporary Problems: Critical Essays (Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice Book 29)

The Book Is A Collection Of Essays, Which Aim To Situate African Legal Theory In The Context Of The Myriad Of Contemporary Global Challenges; From The Prevalence Of War To The Misery Of Poverty And Disease To The Crises Of The Environment. Apart From Being Problems That Have An Indelible African Mark On Them, A Common Theme That Runs Throughout The Essays In This Book Is That African Legal Theory Has Been Excluded, Under-explored Or Under-theorised In The Search For Solutions To Such Contemporary Problems. The Essays Make A Modest Attempt To Reverse This Trend. The Contributors Investigate And Introduce Readers To The Key Issues, Questions, Concepts, Impulses And Problems That Underpin The Idea Of African Legal Theory. They Outline The Potential Offered By African Legal Theory And Open Up Its Key Concepts And Impulses For Critical Scrutiny. This Is Done In Order To Develop A Better Understanding Of The Extent To Which African Legal Theory Can Contribute To Discourses Seeking To Address Some Of The Challenges That Confront African And Non-african Societies Alike -- Introduction / Oche Onazi -- On African Legal Theory : A Possibility, An Impossibility Or Mere Conundrum? / Chikosa Mozesi Silungwe -- When British Justice (in African Colonies) Points Two Ways : On Dualism, Hybridity, And The Genealogy Of Juridical Negritude In Taslim Olawale Elias / Mark Toufayan -- Decoding Afrocentrism : Decolonizing Legal Theory / Dan Kuwali -- Connecting African Jurisprudence To Universal Jurisprudence Through A Shared Understanding Of Contract / Dominic Burbidge -- The Legal Subject In Modern African Law : A Nigerian Report / Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò -- African Values, Human Rights And Group Rights : A Philosophical Foundation For The Banjul Charter / Thaddeus Metz -- Before Rights And Responsibilities : An African Ethos Of Citizenship / Oche Onazi -- The Practice And Promise Of Making Rights Claims : Lessons From The South African Treatment Access Campaign / Karen Zivi -- Unpacking The Universal : African Human Rights Philosophy In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart / Basil Ugochukwu -- Legal Empowerment Of The Poor : Does Political Participation Matter? / Oche Onazi -- The Humanist Basis Of African Communitarianism As Viable Third Alternative Theory Of Developmentalism / Adebisi Arewa -- Crime Detection And The Psychic Witness In America : An Allegory For Re-appraising Indigenous African Criminology / Babafemi Odunsi. Oche Onazi, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-13 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 On ‘African’ Legal Theory: A Possibility, an Impossibility or Mere Conundrum?....Pages 17-30 When British Justice (in African Colonies) Points Two Ways: On Dualism, Hybridity, and the Genealogy of Juridical Negritude in Taslim Olawale Elias....Pages 31-70 Decoding Afrocentrism: Decolonizing Legal Theory....Pages 71-92 Connecting African Jurisprudence to Universal Jurisprudence Through a Shared Understanding of Contract....Pages 93-108 The Legal Subject in Modern African Law: A Nigerian Report....Pages 109-127 Front Matter....Pages 129-129 African Values, Human Rights and Group Rights: A Philosophical Foundation for the Banjul Charter....Pages 131-151 Before Rights and Responsibilities: An African Ethos of Citizenship....Pages 153-172 The Practice and the Promise of Making Rights Claims: Lessons from the South African Treatment Access Campaign....Pages 173-198 Unpacking the Universal: African Human Rights Philosophy in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart ....Pages 199-217 Front Matter....Pages 219-219 Legal Empowerment of the Poor: Does Political Participation Matter?....Pages 221-240 The Humanist Basis of African Communitarianism as Viable Third Alternative Theory of Developmentalism....Pages 241-264 Crime Detection and the Psychic Witness in America: An Allegory for Re-appraising Indigenous African Criminology....Pages 265-288 Back Matter....Pages 289-293