Botswana has been experiencing high rates of recidivism and prison overcrowding, but the causes of these problems have not been explored. Thus, this qualitative study was conducted to investigate whether the denial of legal representation to criminal defendants tried in the customary courts is one of the causes of high rates of recidivism, prison overcrowding, or both. The main research question addressed a possible relationship between these factors and the denial of legal representation, and the study was guided by the punctuated equilibrium theory and the policy feedback theory. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with 10 released first offender prison inmates, 10 released recidivist prison inmates, and 10 professional participants from disciplines in the criminal justice system in addition to reviewing statistics and scholarly research. Data were analyzed through detailed description, categorical aggregation, direct interpretation, which led to naturalistic generalizations and patterns. The results indicated that the denial of legal representation to criminal defendants tried by customary courts appeared to contribute to both recidivism and prison overcrowding, which may undermine public safety and security. The implications of the study for positive social change include informing policy-makers of the need to reform the policy on legal representation to ensure that criminal defendants tried in the customary courts receive fair trials. The additional implications for positive social change include impacting rates of recidivism and prison overcrowding and enhancing community safety and security.

No description available.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) continues to grow in more than 70 countries in the developing world, creating thriving local rural economies but also causing significant environmental contamination and health issues, with one particularly problematic issue involving the use of mercury in the gold extraction process. With the advent of the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2009, a legally binding treaty aimed at reducing and where feasible eliminating mercury use, countries with significant ASGM populations require solutions for this sector. In April 2014, a mixed-methods rapid appraisal study was carried out over a three week period in the gold mining region of Kedougou, Senegal. During this time 80 structured interviews, 120 household surveys, physical measurements, observations and numerous informal interviews were utilized in conjunction with a comparative data analysis in order to create a national inventory of the ASGM sector for Senegal, to explore the sector’s socio-economic contribution to rural development in Senegal, and to provide a basis for discussing policy approaches needed to improve the sector. The results of this study show a thriving ASGM sector composed of approximately 67,000 people, producing an estimated 4.5 tonnes of gold per year and releasing approximately 5.2 tonnes of mercury into the environment. The methodologies used to create these estimates also provide in-depth information that illustrates an ASGM sector that is highly inter-connected with customary tenure practices and traditional agrarian livelihoods, and that is important for rural inhabitants in Senegal and other countries. This information can be utilized by the Senegalese and other governments to inform the policies that are being developed for the ASGM sector as they implement the obligations created by the Minimata Convention. / Graduate / 0503 / 0366 / 0617 / persaud.anthonyw@gmail.com

<p>The subject of this research paper is the analysis of the recent national and provincial legislation on traditional leadership. Within the new constitutional dispensation the legislature had to retain traditional leadership pursuan to Chapter 12 of the Consstitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It was unclear how to change institutions that are based on customary / aw at the same time, recognize them as they are. The legislative branch of government provided its answer through the national and provincial Acts. Precisely the answer forms part of the research paper.</p>

<p>This study looked at socio-economic and political constraints on constitutional reform in Swaziland, an independent state with a fully autonomous government that falls under the Monarch who is Head of State. Swaziland maintains strong economic and trading links with South Africa and also maintains such ties with other states, especially in the Southern African Development Community region. Up untill 1973, the country's constitution was Westminister based. This was evoked and replaced with a system designed to facilitate the practice of both western and traditional styles of government. This system incorporated the system known as Tinkhundla and provides for the people to elect candidates to be their parliamentary representatives for specific constituencies.</p>

<p>The subject of this research paper is the analysis of the recent national and provincial legislation on traditional leadership. Within the new constitutional dispensation the legislature had to retain traditional leadership pursuan to Chapter 12 of the Consstitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It was unclear how to change institutions that are based on customary / aw at the same time, recognize them as they are. The legislative branch of government provided its answer through the national and provincial Acts. Precisely the answer forms part of the research paper.</p>

A proper understanding of the management of small-scale subsistence and artisanal fisheries requires not only detailed sociocultural study, but comprehensive analysis of the state of the fished population(s) using rigorous stock assessment and other fisheries biology tools. This study comprises such an interdisciplinary approach taken in an attempt to understand subsistence and artisanal fishing at West Nggela, with a particular focus on the management of the artisanal trochus fishery. The importance of an understanding of Customary Marine Tenure is dealt with in some detail. An analysis of the various categories of fishers’ ecological knowledge about marine fauna, with an emphasis on trochus, is also presented, and discussed with respect to the categories of biological and ecological information considered by most fisheries biologists as essential to the assessment and management of a fishery. The theoretical basis of my approach to the study of local knowledge, which could broadly be termed “rationalist”, is discussed and defended against “postmodernist” criticisms. (For complete abstract open document)

Teilw. zugl.: @Cambridge, Univ., Diss., 2004. / Literaturverz. S. [593] - 613.

Univ., Diss.--Cambridge, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. [593] - 613.

Inaug.-Diss.--Cologne. / Vita.