Functional Difficulties of Hybrid Legal Systems: The Case of Cameroon

• In Event: Criminal Courts in International Perspective

Abstract

This paper explores difficulties encountered by countries that have incorporated elements of more than one legal tradition into their judicial systems. It examines the difficulties faced by Cameroon, which at one time was ruled by multiple colonial masters, and consequently adopted legal systems from its colonial masters. The adoption of these systems without regard to local and practical realities, continue to present functional difficulties long after the country attained independence. The paper explores how this hybrid legal system functions and examines some of the major obstacles to its proper functioning.

Author

• David Chiabi, New Jersey City University