Colonial Legacies and the Rule of Law in Africa

Book excerpt: This book focuses on the continued impact of British colonial legacy on the rule of law in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The legal system is intended to protect regular citizens, but within the majority of Africa the rule of law remains infused with Eurocentric cultural and linguistic tropes, which can leave its supposed beneficiaries feeling alienated from the structures intended to protect them. This book traces the impact, effect, opportunities, and challenges that the colonial legacy poses for the rule of law across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The book examines the similarities and differences of the colonial legacy on the current legal landscape of each nation and the intersection with the rule of law. This important comparative study will be of interest to scholars of Political Science, International Studies, Law, African Politics, and British Colonial History.