Legalised resistance to democratisation in common law Africa

Siri Gloppen, Lise Rakner (2024)
Third World Quarterly

Siri Gloppen and Lise Rakner are out with a highly relevant article in Third World Quaterly. In their article: “Legalised resistance to democratisation in common law Africa”, they discuss how, since the 1990s, African leaders have used legal manipulation to weaken democratic institutions. The study examines responses from pro-democracy actors in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It finds that courts in these countries have played a crucial role in preserving political debate and preventing electoral manipulation, especially in nations with strong pluralistic traditions.

“On a day when resistance to autocratisation seems particularly urgent, Lise Rakner and I are pleased that our article on “Legalized resistance to autocratisation in common law Africa” is out in Third World Quarterly” – Siri Gloppen says.

This article is part of the RightAct project (CMI)/@LawTransform) and takes further the work in the Breaking BAD: Understanding the Backlash Against Democracy in Africa-project and the book on “Democratic Backsliding in Africa?”. Access the article from here.

Photo: Jenny Guo Strømsnes/UiB

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2024.2433699?fbclid=IwY2xjawH_FmZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHeZKd6a5dSHI5e-3WSSN0d5EfizwHeppo1HyoetXdFUrLekIX7N7X3bbfw_aem_PwNLATjaLMTfjhG-UH2z-Q#d1e178