This book is the first study of the development and decolonization of a British colonial high court in Africa. It traces the history of the High Court of Tanzania from its establishment in 1920 to the end of its institutional process of decolonization in 1971. This process involved disentangling the High Court from colonial state structures and imperial systems that were built on racial inequality while simultaneously increasing the independence of the judiciary and application of British judicial principles. Feingold weaves together the rich history of the Court with a discussion of its judges - both as members of the British Colonial Legal Service and as individuals - to explore the impacts and intersections of imperial policies, national politics, and individual initiative. Colonial Justice and Decolonization in the High Court of Tanzania is a powerful reminder of the crucial roles played by common law courts in the operation and legitimization of both colonial and post-colonial states.

Autorentext

Ellen R. Feingold completed her DPhil in history at the University of Oxford in 2012. She is a museum curator and also a faculty affiliate of the African Studies Program at Georgetown University.

Inhalt

1. IntroductionPart I: The High Court of Tanganyika under British Rule, 1920-19582 Building a Judiciary for the Empire: The Development of the Colonial Legal Service3 The Marginalization of the High Court under Indirect Rule, 1920-19444 The Resurgence and Expansion of Tanganyika's Judiciary, 1945-1958Part II: Decolonizing the High Court of Tanganyika, 1959-19715 Restructuring Colonial Justice, Empowering the High Court, 1959-19646 Colonial Judges in a Fading Empire, 1961-19657 Foreign Judges and the Emergence of a Tanzanian Judiciary, 1964-19718 Conclusion.