Witchcraft on Trial: Colonial Disruptions to African Justice

• In Event: Religion, Ethnicity, Violence, and Reconcilation

Abstract

Witchcraft accusations once played a key role in African societies, helping to maintain social order through customary courts, spiritual ordeals, and community mediation. Colonial rule disrupted these systems, criminalizing indigenous beliefs and replacing them with European legal frameworks that dismissed spiritual justice as superstition.

This paper examines how African communities traditionally resolved witchcraft-related disputes and how colonial courts transformed witchcraft from a social issue into a criminal offense. Using case studies of notable witchcraft trials, I will explore the tensions between traditional and colonial justice systems and the lasting impact of these legal disruptions on African societies today.

Author

• Teresa A Booker, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (The City University of New York)