New Publication on Legal Pluralism

“Non-State Justice Institutions and the Law. Decision-Making at the Interface of Tradition, Religion and the State”

Traditional forms of dispute resolution have become an important aspect in political and academic debates on law and development, and in numerous cases of constitution-making and judicial reform.

This book, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015, focuses on decision-making by non-state justice institutions at the interface of traditional, religious and state laws. The authors discuss the implications of non-state justice for the rule of law, presenting case studies on traditional councils and courts in Pakistan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Bolivia and South Africa. Looking at the legitimacy of non-state justice from various angles, this collection explores the ways in which non-state legal systems and governmental structures are embedded in official state justice institutions and how this affects the protection of human rights.

“Non-State Justice Institutions and the Law. Decision-Making at the Interface of Tradition, Religion and the State” has been edited by Rüdiger Wolfrum and Tilmann J. Röder (MPFPR) in cooperation with Gunnar Folke Schuppert and Matthias Kötter (WZB Berlin/SFB700). In includes an introduction by Brian Tamanaha (Washington University).