Fair Trial Rights and Multilingualism in Africa: Perspectives from Comparable Jurisdictions

This book examines the best language fair trial practices of the courts in arguably the most multilingual region of the world. It contains an instructive list of standards and approaches to linguistic dynamics, which may be considered a language fair trial rights code.

By way of jurisprudential analysis and scrutiny of constitutional imperatives and examination of legislation among the respective jurisdictions from the Sahel region, to the Horn of Africa, and the Cape, this publication presents peculiar country-specific practices and common standards aiming towards the realisation of a fair trial in a multilingual context. The exceptionally multilingual nature of legal processes in Africa makes the standards in the region instructive in the progression towards a universal language fair trial rights code. The book reveals valuable lessons across jurisdictions, including those outside Africa, and suggests measures that may be taken to improve existing approaches.

It will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers, and policy-makers working in the areas of Law and Language, Legal Linguistics, Forensic Linguistics, Criminal Justice, and Comparative Law.

Catherine S. Namakula is a senior lecturer in law at the University of the Free State, South Africa and Professor with the Global Humanistic University, Curaçao. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals on language and fair trial in Uganda, South Africa, and Kenya. She is also a member of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (of the Human Rights Council).