A Review of the Decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in the Shilubana Case: Lessons for the Development of Customary Law in Ghana

Abstract

In the case discussed in this article, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa was confronted with the issue of the customary law rule of male primogeniture and its discriminatory effects on women regarding chieftaincy succession. The court held that, given that the said customary law practice was discriminatory, it needed to be developed to meet the constitutional human rights value of gender equality. The court’s decision is regarded as the basis for new criteria by which living customary law can be developed further. The article seeks to review the decision of the Constitutional Court and its impact on the development of customary law in general. Against this backdrop, the author proceeds to evaluate and offer a comparative analysis of the judicial and legislative efforts by Ghana and South Africa to promote the development of customary law and whether the decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa (Constitutional Court) could offer lessons for the development of Ghanaian customary law in general. It is contended that the measures put in place under Ghanaian law to promote the development of customary law are inadequate and thus recommendations for the development of Ghanaian customary law drawing on lessons from the decision of the Constitutional Court are made.