Pub Date : 2022-05-27DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000146
Solomon Faakye
Abstract The law on the availability of restitution in the context of illegal contracts is unclear. Several irreconcilable approaches have been proposed at common law in search of a solution to the question of whether or not a party to an illegal contract who has benefitted from the contract has any right to restitution. This article examines the Ghanaian judicial approach and ascertains the extent to which it sheds light on this difficult issue. It does so by examining the evolution of judicial solutions in English common law and, in that context, evaluating the approaches adopted by the Ghanaian courts.
{"title":"Right to Restitution under Illegal Contracts: Seeking Clarity in Ghana","authors":"Solomon Faakye","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000146","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The law on the availability of restitution in the context of illegal contracts is unclear. Several irreconcilable approaches have been proposed at common law in search of a solution to the question of whether or not a party to an illegal contract who has benefitted from the contract has any right to restitution. This article examines the Ghanaian judicial approach and ascertains the extent to which it sheds light on this difficult issue. It does so by examining the evolution of judicial solutions in English common law and, in that context, evaluating the approaches adopted by the Ghanaian courts.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"515 - 530"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44377950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-12DOI: 10.1017/s0021855322000122
J. P. Bohoslavsky
Abstract This case note presents the arguments made in the amicus curiae brief submitted by the UN independent expert on debt and human rights to the OECD National Contact Point in the case brought in 2018 by Open Secrets and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies concerning the alleged complicit conduct of two banks during apartheid in South Africa. It also outlines the developments in this legal case and comments on why apartheid victims’ claims against financial accomplices are now more compelling than ever.
{"title":"Financial Support to Apartheid: Outstanding Debts","authors":"J. P. Bohoslavsky","doi":"10.1017/s0021855322000122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021855322000122","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This case note presents the arguments made in the amicus curiae brief submitted by the UN independent expert on debt and human rights to the OECD National Contact Point in the case brought in 2018 by Open Secrets and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies concerning the alleged complicit conduct of two banks during apartheid in South Africa. It also outlines the developments in this legal case and comments on why apartheid victims’ claims against financial accomplices are now more compelling than ever.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"531 - 541"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44047703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-12DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000134
P. Ndlovu
Abstract Public interest issues have the potential to play a significant role in the evaluation of mergers and acquisitions in Africa's regional competition laws. A case in point is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA): its regional competition authorities have jurisdiction to evaluate transactions within the Common Market. To that end, COMESA's regional competition law enumerates specific public interest factors regarding mergers and acquisitions. Further, COMESA's regional competition law permits the consideration of additional factors under the rubric of public interest, without specifying what these factors are. On this basis, COMESA's regional competition authorities have gradually created precedents on incorporating public interest considerations. This illustrates the point that purist positions towards competition law do not serve Africa's socio-economic development goals. Therefore, the challenge facing COMESA's regional competition authorities is the application of the public interest in a manner that remains faithful to the economic doctrine that underpins competition law.
{"title":"Mergers and Acquisitions and the Incorporation of the Public Interest in Africa's Regional Competition Laws: A Case Study of COMESA","authors":"P. Ndlovu","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000134","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Public interest issues have the potential to play a significant role in the evaluation of mergers and acquisitions in Africa's regional competition laws. A case in point is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA): its regional competition authorities have jurisdiction to evaluate transactions within the Common Market. To that end, COMESA's regional competition law enumerates specific public interest factors regarding mergers and acquisitions. Further, COMESA's regional competition law permits the consideration of additional factors under the rubric of public interest, without specifying what these factors are. On this basis, COMESA's regional competition authorities have gradually created precedents on incorporating public interest considerations. This illustrates the point that purist positions towards competition law do not serve Africa's socio-economic development goals. Therefore, the challenge facing COMESA's regional competition authorities is the application of the public interest in a manner that remains faithful to the economic doctrine that underpins competition law.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"257 - 279"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43136164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-06DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000110
E. Salami
Abstract The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AEAfCFTA) is a revolutionary treaty of the African Union (AU) which creates an African single market to guarantee the free movement of persons, capital, goods and services. The AEAfCFTA is geared towards enabling seamless trade among African countries. The single market relies heavily on the processing of the personal data of persons resident within and outside the AU, thereby necessitating an effective data protection regime. However, the data protection regime across Africa is fragmented, with each country either having a distinct data protection framework or none at all. This lack of a uniform continental framework threatens to clog the wheels of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), because by demanding compliance with the various data protection laws across Africa, free trade will be inhibited, the very problem the AEAfCFTA seeks to remediate. These concerns are considered and applicable solutions are proposed to ensure the successful implementation of the AfCFTA.
{"title":"Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: A Case for the Harmonization of Data Protection Law in Africa","authors":"E. Salami","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000110","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AEAfCFTA) is a revolutionary treaty of the African Union (AU) which creates an African single market to guarantee the free movement of persons, capital, goods and services. The AEAfCFTA is geared towards enabling seamless trade among African countries. The single market relies heavily on the processing of the personal data of persons resident within and outside the AU, thereby necessitating an effective data protection regime. However, the data protection regime across Africa is fragmented, with each country either having a distinct data protection framework or none at all. This lack of a uniform continental framework threatens to clog the wheels of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), because by demanding compliance with the various data protection laws across Africa, free trade will be inhibited, the very problem the AEAfCFTA seeks to remediate. These concerns are considered and applicable solutions are proposed to ensure the successful implementation of the AfCFTA.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"281 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46885319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-19DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000109
Kasim Balarabe
Abstract The Geneva Conventions have achieved universal ratification, and Additional Protocols I and II are binding on all African states except Eritrea and Somalia; however, their observance in African conflicts is flawed and inconsistent. From deliberate attacks on civilian populations to abduction and hostage-taking, humanitarian rules are openly flouted. Through an extensive assessment of the domestic measures required to implement the Geneva Conventions and Protocols in Africa, this article identifies the current level of implementation, existing gaps and possible non-legal factors that impact respect for the instruments in African conflicts. Violations are often associated with historical, political, religious and social factors that tainted the instruments’ lofty provisions and bequeathed a legacy that challenges the obligation to respect. Additionally, continuous political and religious struggles and the search for identity and relevance have displaced the ideals of the instruments’ humanitarian provisions. Reversing this trend requires an approach that appeals to and engages the continent beyond the traditional argument of obligation to respect.
{"title":"Africa and the Domestic Implementation of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols: Problems and Solutions","authors":"Kasim Balarabe","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000109","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Geneva Conventions have achieved universal ratification, and Additional Protocols I and II are binding on all African states except Eritrea and Somalia; however, their observance in African conflicts is flawed and inconsistent. From deliberate attacks on civilian populations to abduction and hostage-taking, humanitarian rules are openly flouted. Through an extensive assessment of the domestic measures required to implement the Geneva Conventions and Protocols in Africa, this article identifies the current level of implementation, existing gaps and possible non-legal factors that impact respect for the instruments in African conflicts. Violations are often associated with historical, political, religious and social factors that tainted the instruments’ lofty provisions and bequeathed a legacy that challenges the obligation to respect. Additionally, continuous political and religious struggles and the search for identity and relevance have displaced the ideals of the instruments’ humanitarian provisions. Reversing this trend requires an approach that appeals to and engages the continent beyond the traditional argument of obligation to respect.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"175 - 199"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47724776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-05DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000092
U. Nwoke, F. Ukwueze, J. Odinkonigbo, C. Obi-Ochiabutor
Abstract The rule of law embodies two basic metaphors: the tool and the causeway. Under the tool metaphor, the rule of law is applied more as an instrument of power, while in the causeway metaphor, the law emphasizes a form of relationship between state and society where “ground rules” are established, not just for electoral politics but for the daily transactions and commercial necessities of individuals. The choice between these two metaphors has always been crucial for the legal and political development of democratic states. This article argues that in many African states, the rule of law is presently used as a tool, and contends that if this superficial perception is discarded, in favour of concentrating instead on the more expansive causeway metaphor, the continent will stand the chance of building more modern democratic states that can compare favourably with other consolidated democracies across the globe.
{"title":"Re-Conceptualizing the Rule of Law in Africa: Metaphors of the Tool and the Causeway","authors":"U. Nwoke, F. Ukwueze, J. Odinkonigbo, C. Obi-Ochiabutor","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000092","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The rule of law embodies two basic metaphors: the tool and the causeway. Under the tool metaphor, the rule of law is applied more as an instrument of power, while in the causeway metaphor, the law emphasizes a form of relationship between state and society where “ground rules” are established, not just for electoral politics but for the daily transactions and commercial necessities of individuals. The choice between these two metaphors has always been crucial for the legal and political development of democratic states. This article argues that in many African states, the rule of law is presently used as a tool, and contends that if this superficial perception is discarded, in favour of concentrating instead on the more expansive causeway metaphor, the continent will stand the chance of building more modern democratic states that can compare favourably with other consolidated democracies across the globe.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"367 - 389"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43363182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-05DOI: 10.1017/S0021855322000018
P. Nwankwo
Abstract It has been over a decade since the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) came into force, introducing, for the first time under Nigeria's employees’ compensation scheme, mental stress as a basis for compensation. However, legal literature on salient aspects of Nigerian employees’ compensation remains scant. This article seeks to bridge this gap and provide a source of legal scholarship to aid the adjudication of mental stress claims in Nigeria. The article discusses when and how work-related mental stress is compensable within the context of the ECA. It finds that, notwithstanding the subjective nature of mental stress and the possibility of feigning mental injury, the ECA establishes broad bases for compensating mental stress, increasing the risk that employees may manipulate the system and obtain benefits even when mental stress is not work-related. The article therefore articulates criteria to defeat fraudulent claims and ensure that only legitimate mental stress claims are compensated.
{"title":"Mental Stress, Workplaces and Nigeria's Employees’ Compensation Act","authors":"P. Nwankwo","doi":"10.1017/S0021855322000018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855322000018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract It has been over a decade since the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) came into force, introducing, for the first time under Nigeria's employees’ compensation scheme, mental stress as a basis for compensation. However, legal literature on salient aspects of Nigerian employees’ compensation remains scant. This article seeks to bridge this gap and provide a source of legal scholarship to aid the adjudication of mental stress claims in Nigeria. The article discusses when and how work-related mental stress is compensable within the context of the ECA. It finds that, notwithstanding the subjective nature of mental stress and the possibility of feigning mental injury, the ECA establishes broad bases for compensating mental stress, increasing the risk that employees may manipulate the system and obtain benefits even when mental stress is not work-related. The article therefore articulates criteria to defeat fraudulent claims and ensure that only legitimate mental stress claims are compensated.","PeriodicalId":44630,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Law","volume":"66 1","pages":"293 - 314"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45828937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}