Perceptions of Formal and Traditional Justice in Cameroon

Abstract

In Cameroon an interesting combination of traditional justice and formal (“Western”) justice has occurred. The Cameroonian formal justice system was overburdened in the 1970‟s by cases of goats destroying cassava fields, small unpaid loans or petty theft of fruit. In order to get the formal justice system running again the traditional councils were called upon by the government in order to try these small cases. Judges and the police started to refuse to try these small cases and would send people to their traditional council to solve the matter. But are Cameroonians happy with this solution? The focus of this thesis will therefore not lie on how the formal justice system and traditional council work but on how they are perceived by the Cameroonian people. What is especially important is whether the formal justice system and traditional councils are seen as legitimate. In this thesis I will answer the following research puzzle: How do Cameroonians perceive the traditional councils and formal state justice system and how does this perception relate to the twilight institutions paradigm and failed states debate?