A Manual of Nuer Law: Being an Account of Customary Law, its Evolution and Development in the Courts Established by the Sudan Government

Originally published in 1954 this book was originally designed for administrators but has become a key title for anthropologists. It includes a summary account of the history and social organisation of the Nuer and provides a descriptive analysis of their customary practices concerning homicide, blood-feuds, marriage and divorce and the settlement of disputes by arbitration and the award of compensation. It shows how in the first half of the twentieth century, as a result of administrative action and in particular the establishment of ‘Chiefs’ Courts’ a system of law developed, which although based on customary procedures, introduced many concepts which were quite unknown to the Nuer in the past.