A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW: IGBOMINA AS A CASE STUDY

There has been arguments as to the existence of any form of Law in Africa before colonization by some authors like Driberg, Holleman, Smith and hosts of other; who denied the existence of African Philosophy of Law on the one part and others like Elias, Idowu and some other African authors; who had favourably argued the existence of African Philosophy of Law on the other part. This study intends to support the view of African authors that there exists African Philosophy of Law in Traditional African Jurisprudence especially as it relates to traditional Yoruba society in Nigeria with reverence to the Igbomina people, which is a sub-group or sub-tribe of Yoruba. This research work will not just prove the existence of African Philosophy of Law but aptly analyze it especially in the cultural view of the Igbomina people.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE------------------------------------------------------------------------------i

CERTIFICATION PAGE-------------------------------------------------------------------ii

ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------------------------------------iii

DEDICATION------------------------------------------------------------------------------iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT------------------------------------------------------------------v

TABLE OF CASES-------------------------------------------------------------------------vii

TABLE OF STATUTES--------------------------------------------------------------------viii

INTERVIEWS AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATION-------------------------------ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS--------------------------------------------------------------x

TABLE OF CONTENTS------------------------------------------------------------------xii

 

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION-------------------------------------------------------------1-2

1.0.0        INTRODUCTION----------------------------------------------------------------1

1.1         

1.1.0        BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY---------------------------------------------4

1.2         

1.2.0        OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY-------------------------------------------------5

1.3         

1.3.0        FOCUS OF STUDY-------------------------------------------------------------5

1.4         

1.4.0        SCOPE OF RESEARCH--------------------------------------------------------6

1.5         

1.5.0        METHODOLOGY--------------------------------------------------------------7 

1.6         

1.6.0        LITERATURE REVIEW--------------------------------------------------------7

1.7         

1.7.0        DEFINITION OF TERMS-----------------------------------------------------10           

1.8         

1.8.0        CONCLUSION-----------------------------------------------------------------12

 

CHAPTER 2

BACKGROUND TO THE CASE STUDY---------------------------------------------13-20

2.0.0 INTRODUCTION----------------------------------------------------------------13

2.1.0 HISTORY OF IGBOMINA------------------------------------------------------13

2.2.0 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION/SPREAD-------------------------------------16

2.3.0 TRADITIONAL TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS----------------------------17

2.4.0 LANGUAGE---------------------------------------------------------------------18

2.5.0 CONCLUSION------------------------------------------------------------------20

 

CHAPTER 3

LAW AND PHILOSOPHY------------------------------------------------------------21-30

3.0.0 INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------21

3.1.0 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW------------------------------------------------------21  

3.2.0 PRINCIPAL BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY-------------------------------25  

3.2.1 METAPHYSICS---------------------------------------------------------------25

3.2.2 EPISTEMOLOGY-------------------------------------------------------------26

3.2.3 LOGIC-------------------------------------------------------------------------26

3.2.4 ETHICS------------------------------------------------------------------------27

3.3.0 CONCLUSION----------------------------------------------------------------30

 

CHAPTER 4

AFRICAN JURISPRUDENCE--------------------------------------------------------31-46

4.0.0 INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------31

4.1.0 LAW IN AFRICAN JURISPRUDENCE--------------------------------------31

4.2.0 MAINTENANCE OF EQUILIBRIUM---------------------------------------35

4.3.0 STATUS AND SUBSTITUTION---------------------------------------------37

4.4.0 LEGAL PERSONALITY, INTERDEPENDENCE AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY--------------------------------------------------------------------39

4.5.0 FAIR HEARING---------------------------------------------------------------41

4.6.0 ENGLISH JURISPRUDENCE IN AFRICA’S--------------------------------42

4.7.0 PENALTY AND SANCTION-------------------------------------------------43

4.8.0 CONCILIATION AND COMPROMISE------------------------------------45

4.9.0 CONCLUSION----------------------------------------------------------------46

                                                                       

CHAPTER 5

VIEWS AS TO THE EXISTENCE OR NON-EXISTENCE OF AFRICAN LAW -47-56

5.0.0 INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------47

5.1.0 THE MISSIONARY------------------------------------------------------------47  

5.2.0 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS----------------------------------------------48  

5.3.0 ANTHROPOLOGISTS---------------------------------------------------------49

5.3.1 OLDER ANTHROPOLOGISTS-----------------------------------------------49

5.3.2 MODERN ANTHROPOLOGISTS--------------------------------------------50

5.4.0 JUDICIAL OFFICERS----------------------------------------------------------52

5.5.0 CONCLUSION-----------------------------------------------------------------55

 

CHAPTER 6

GENERAL CONCLUSION------------------------------------------------------------57-60

6.0.0 CONCLUSION------------------------------------------------------------------57

6.1.0 RECOMMENDATION--------------------------------------------------------59

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY----------------------------------------------------------------------61-65

ARTICLES IN JOURNALS------------------------------------------------------------61

ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET------------------------------------------------------62

BOOKS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------63

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS---------------------------------------------------------------64

PAPERS PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS-64

THESIS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------65