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Not five generations distant, Fijians were cannibalizing each other. The missionaries and the colonial administration imposed a veneer of civilization on their native subjects. However, it is not apparent that they imparted to them any profound understanding of the process involved in the maintenance and upholding of the law.

Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi#6

HistoryLawColonialismEducationRule of lawUnderstanding

About this quote

What does it mean?
Colonial rule imposed formal law but did not teach its underlying principles to indigenous populations.
In plain terms
Foreign rulers enforced laws but did not explain the reasons behind them to locals.
What can you take from it?
Laws are ineffective if people do not understand the principles behind them.

Where it applies

  • post-colonial analysis
  • legal history

Putting it to work

  • teaching legal principles locally

Questions to consider

  • Can law work without cultural buy-in?
  • How do systems of rule affect local understanding?

Another view

The quote implies colonial powers lacked intent to educate rather than capacity.

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