IMPLICATIONS OF THE BRITISH COURT SYSTEMS ON THE BENIN JUDICIAL SYSTEM DURING THE DECOLONISATION PERIOD

The paper is on the implications of the British court systems on the Benin judicial system during the decolonisation period. The aim is to reveal how the British court system was introduced in Benin and the implications it has on the utility of the pre-existing judicial system. Primary and secondary sources were utilised and the findings show that the British military invasion of 1897, which resulted in the overthrow of Oba Ovonramwen created a vacuum in the judicial system. This is because the sovereign Oba was also the head of the judicial system. The work also shows that to fill the vacuum, the British court system was introduced and the colonial government continued to weaken the Benin judicial system in favour of the newly impose British court system. The work also reveals that under the Benin judicial system, trivial matters such as quarrels between husband and wife, disagreement over non-payment of debts, minor cases of theft and other disputes within or between family members were usually settled within the family and that these duties were taken over by the different categories of courts that were introduced at the early days of colonial rule.