Death Penalty in Africa

Human development is not simply about wealth and economic well-being, it is also dependent upon shared values that cherish the sanctity of human life. Using comparative methods, archival research and quantitative findings, this book explores the historical and cultural background of the death penalty in Africa, analysing the law and practice of the death penalty under European and Asian laws in Africa before independence. Showing progressive attitudes to punishment rooted in both traditional and modern concepts of human dignity, Aimé Muyoboke Karimunda assesses the ground on which the death penalty is retained today. Providing a full and balanced appraisal of the arguments, the book presents a clear and compelling case for the total abolition of the death penalty throughout Africa. This book is essential reading for human rights lawyers, legal anthropologists, historians, political analysts and anyone else interested in promoting democracy and the protection of fundamental human rights in Africa. Chapter 1 General Introduction; Chapter 2 The Death Penalty: Ideas and Practice in Pre-colonial Africa; Chapter 3 The Death Penalty during the Period of Peaceful Legal Influences in Africa; Chapter 4 The Death Penalty as a Colonial Policy in Africa; Chapter 5 The Death Penalty as a Political Instrument in Africa; Chapter 6 Concluding Remarks on De Facto Abolition in Africa;