Robert Okello, People-centred justice or ethnojustice? Assessing the claim for customary and informal justice systems in post conflict context

Robert Okello's research aims to unpack the claim for people-centred justice within customary and informal justice systems operating in a fragile context. Utilising the Acholi Customary Justice System of “Mato oput”–traditional reconciliation ritual as a case study, the research investigates how traditional justice systems adapt and evolve during period of conflict and transitions. In doing so, the research will critically examine the impact of these systems on land governance, natural resource management, focusing particularly on the complex relationship between traditional authority, state institutions and international donors. The study seeks to understand how these dynamics influence access to and control over land for rural women and youth in post conflict context, and what implications this holds for achieving equitable land governance and people-centred justice.