Unwritten Legalese - sgml/signature GitHub Wiki
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β ACADEMIC VENN DIAGRAM (EARLIEST DICTIONARY SENSE) β
β English Common Law β’ Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace β’ Yoruba & Other Indigenous Laws β’ Akoma Ntoso β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ENGLISH COMMON LAW
(Cowell 1607, Blount 1670,
Jacob 1729, Blackstone 1765)
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β - Unwritten English β
β customary law β
β - βImmemorial usageβ β
β - βLaw of the realmβ β
β - Jury tradition β
β - Writ system β
β - Monarchical authority β
βββββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββ
β
β
β SHARED FEATURES (Customary Law)
β - Unwritten
β - Ancient
β - Normative
β - Based on long-standing usage
β - Binding across communities
β - Procedural governance rules
β - Conflict resolution mechanisms
β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β β
β β
βΌ βΌ
GREAT LAW OF PEACE YORUBA & OTHER INDIGENOUS LAWS
(KaianereβkΓ³:wa) (Fully spelled out, exhaustive categories)
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β - Unwritten Haudenosaunee β β AFRICA β
β constitutional law β β - Yoruba customary law (Nigeria) β
β - Oral tradition β β - Akan law (Ghana) β
β - Clan mothers & chiefs β β - Igbo customary law (Nigeria) β
β - Consensus governance β β - Somali Xeer (Horn of Africa) β
β - Confederacy structure β β - Amhara & Oromo Gadaa (Ethiopia) β
β - Condolence ceremonies β β - Zulu customary law (South Africa) β
βββββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββ β - Tswana customary law (Botswana) β
β β - Shona customary law (Zimbabwe) β
β β β
β β AMERICAS (NON-HAUDENOSAUNEE) β
β β - DinΓ© (Navajo) law β
β β - Lakota law β
β β - Coast Salish legal traditions β
β β - Mapuche Az Mapu (Chile/Argentina) β
β β - Quechua customary law (Andes) β
β β - Maya legal traditions β
β β β
β β AUSTRALIA & PACIFIC β
β β - Aboriginal Australian customary law β
β β - Torres Strait Islander law β
β β - MΔori Tikanga (Aotearoa/New Zealand) β
β β - Samoan Faβa Samoa β
β β - Tongan customary law β
β β β
β β ASIA β
β β - Ainu customary law (Japan) β
β β - Adat law (Indonesia/Malaysia) β
β β - Tribal customary laws of India β
β β (Naga, Khasi, Mizo, Gond, Santhal) β
β β β
β β ARCTIC & SUBARCTIC β
β β - Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) β
β β - SΓ‘mi customary law (Scandinavia) β
β β β
β β EUROPE (INDIGENOUS MINORITIES) β
β β - Basque customary law β
β β - Gaelic Brehon law (historic) β
β β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β
β SHARED INDIGENOUS FEATURES
β - Oral transmission
β - Kinship-based authority
β - Ritual & cosmological grounding
β - Collective decision-making
β - Law embedded in culture
β - Non-English origin
β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
AKOMA NTOSO (THE CONCEPT)
(βLinked heartsβ / shared civic meaning)
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β - Indigenous African governance concept β
β - Means βlinked heartsβ (Akan/Twi) β
β - Normative idea of: β
β β’ consensus β
β β’ deliberation β
β β’ civic unity β
β β’ shared moral meaning β
β - Used in African legal philosophy β
β - A principle for structuring: β
β β’ parliamentary deliberation β
β β’ judicial reasoning β
β β’ communal decision-making β
β - NOT a customary law system β
β - NOT English common law β
β - A governance value that can inform β
β Indigenous or modern legal systems β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ACADEMIC LINE (EARLIEST DICTIONARY DEFINITION)
English Common Law:
- Defined as βthe law of Englandβ
- Unwritten English custom only
Great Law of Peace:
- Structurally customary law
- Not English β βnon-common-lawβ (dictionary sense)
Yoruba & Other Indigenous Laws:
- Structurally customary law
- Not English β βnon-common-lawβ (dictionary sense)
Akoma Ntoso (concept):
- A governance principle, not a legal system
- Exists outside the customary-law Venn entirely