The Palgrave Handbook of Democracy, Governance and Justice in Africa

There is an emerging consensus that what is projected as democratic governance and justice in Africa requires a re-calibration, in particular, in relation to the constitutive demos, human rights, the realisation of commitments at various governance levels and the convergence between these ideations. The post-colonial narrative on democracy has unveiled some crevices in rule of law, political equality, political participation, political culture and freedom of the press. Aside from the fact that these notions are threatened by some existing institutional structures, these notions are increasingly being negotiated across political spaces. Evident in the prevalent narrative is an imperative for Africa to assert its place on the global scene of democratic governance and justice. However, if this will be accomplished, it is important to understand some of the issues that need to be worked through in this transition.

Romola Adeola is Senior Research Associate at the University of London, UK, and Fellow at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa. She is Lead Editor of Governance in Nigeria post-1999: revisiting the democratic ’new dawn’ of the Fourth Republic (2019).

Makau Mutua is SUNY Distinguished Professor and Margaret W. Wong Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law, USA, where he served as Dean for seven years, 2008-2014. He teaches international human rights, international business transactions and international law. He is the author of several books including Kenya’s Quest for Democracy: Taming Leviathan (2008), Human Rights NGOs in East Africa: Political and Normative Tensions (2008) and Human Rights: A Political and Cultural Critique (2002).