Pursuing Justice in Africa

Jessica Johnson is a lecturer in the Department of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her work focuses on gender and justice in a matrilineal area of Malawi.George Hamandishe Karekwaivanane is a lecturer in the Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, UK. His work focuses on the interaction of law and politics in Zimbabwean history, as well as the social and political impacts of digital media.

"The diverse essays, many by African scholars, make this an essential collection on a topic just beginning to animate African studies. Outstanding in their well-balanced combination of ethnography and theory, they thoroughly contextualize their topic. The contrast between the local and the international alone that this well-thought-out book illuminates is valuable." "This important volume asks us to step back and reconsider current processes for seeking justice—for righting wrongs, holding criminals accountable for their crimes, and fostering harmony—and to ask what should always have been the first question: what are the meanings individuals and communities attach to 'justice'? Or, indeed, is there anything like 'justice' in Africa that can equate to the many, differing definitions of justice in the West?" "This is an impactful, powerful, well-written book for scholars who are deconstructing the concept of justice within an African context. This book adds an emboldened voice to the current literature and affirms the position that more needs to be done to address the inequalities within vulnerable groups such as women and children in Africa." (African Studies Review)