Application of Hegemony to Customary International Law: An African Perspective

Abstract

The perpetual reliance on the traditional approach to customary international law based on state practice and opinio juris arguably serves the hegemonic purposes of the great powers in the Global North. Such a traditional approach is out of step with reality in that it fails to reflect the polarised nature of the international system, as well as the activities of diverse non-state actors that shape international law-making. These observations support a reassessment of the formation of custom to include the interests of diverse legal traditions and actors in customary international law-making. In view of the above, this paper explores hegemony through Gramsci’s ideology in relation to customary international law from an African perspective.