German Colonialism and the Law

The volume places law at the centre of the analysis of German colonialism. It proceeds from the assumptions that, first, colonialism was not merely a historical or political phenomenon with legal implications, but a deeply juridified project in which law played a constitutive role in shaping colonial governance, ordering relations of domination and legitimising inequality, and that, second, this constitutive relationship between law and colonialism did not end with formal decolonisation, but its legacies continue to inform contemporary legal frameworks: While colonialism may have ended, coloniality in legal systems persists. Bringing together contributions from diverse disciplinary and geographical perspectives, with a particular emphasis on voices from the Global South(s), the volume captures current debates and emerging research trends in areas such as criminal law, international law and transitional justice. It pays special attention to African contexts, featuring dedicated sections on Namibia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Togo.