Charles Fombad

(Lic-en-Drt.(Un. of Yaounde), LL.M., Ph.D (Un of London), Diploma Conflict Resolution (Un of Uppsala).
Home Department: Centre for Human Rights

Fombad is a professor of law and is based in the Institute for International and Comparative Law of the Faculty of Law. He was previously the Head of Department of Public Law, of the Faculty of Law (2010-2012). Fombad is member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, a fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) and Vice President of the International Association of Constitutional Law.

Areas of Research interest-Constitutional law; Comparative Constitutional law: Legal history; Mixed legal systems; and Media law.

Publications

Published during the past five years

(With Lukman A. Abdulrauf “Comparative overview of the constitutional framework for controlling the exercise of emergency powers in Africa’, 20 African Human Rights Law Journal (2020), pp. 376-411 http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1996-2096/2020/v20n2a2

“Editorial introduction to special focus: Assessing the implications of COVID-19 pandemic regulations for human rights and the rule of law in Eastern and Southern Africa,” 20 African Human Rights Law Journal (2020), pp. 368-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1996-2096/2020/v20n2a1

“ A comparative overview of recent trends in judicial appointments: selected cases from Africa,” Canadian Journal of African Studies (2020) 10.1080/00083968.2020.1802314

“Taming executive authoritarianism in Africa; Some reflections on current trends in horizontal and vertical accountability,” 12(1) Hague Journal of the Rule of Law (2020), pp.61-91.

(with Baboki Jonathan Dambe) The stock theft act and customary courts in Botswana: justice sacrificed on the altar of expediency? 52(1) The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law, (2020), pp.65-81.

(with Christof Heyns, Pansy Tlakula and Jimmy Kainja), “ The right to political participation in Sub-Saharan Africa,” 8 Global Journal of Comparative Law (2019),pp. 128-161.

“The separation of powers in African constitutionalism.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1327

“Comparative research in contemporary African legal studies,” 67(4) Journal of Legal Education (2018), pp.984-1004.

“Constitutional Entrenchment of Decentralization in Africa: An Overview of Trends and Tendencies,” 62(2) Journal of African Law (2018), pp. 175-199.

“An overview of the crisis of the rule of law in Africa,” 18(1) African Human Rights Law Journal (2018), pp.213-243.

(with Eric Kibet), “The rule of law in sub-Saharan Africa: Reflections on promises, progress, pitfalls and prospects,” 18(1) African Human Rights Law Journal (2018), pp.205-212.

Serges Djoyou Kamga), “Actualising the right to development in Africa: Options and prospects,” 47(3) Africa Insight (2017), pp 6-26. (only published in 2018) “Comparative research in contemporary African legal studies,” (forthcoming in Journal of Legal Education).

“The diffusion of South African–style institutions? A study of comparative constitutionalism,” in Rosalind Dixon and Theunis Roux (eds), Constitutional triumphs, constitutional disappointments. A critical assessment of the 1996 South African Constitution’s local and international influence. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press (2018) pp. 359-387.

“The Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism” in Nic Cheeseman (ed.), Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1327.

(with Tachilisa Balule), Media Law in Botswana, 2nd Ed. Kluwer Law International (2018).

(with Eric Kibet) “Transformative constitutionalism and the adjudication of constitutional rights in Africa,” 17(2) African Human Rights Law Journal (2017), pp. 340-366.

“Designing institutions and mechanisms for the implementation and enforcement of the constitution: Changing perspectives in Africa” 25 (1) African Journal of International and Comparative Law, (2017) pp. 66–90.

(with Lukman Abdulrauf) "Personal Data Protection in Nigeria: Reflections on Opportunities, Options and Challenges to Legal Reforms" 38(2) Liverpool Law Review, (2017), pp. 105-134.

(With Lukman Abdulrauf), “The African Union’s data protection Convention 2014: a possible cause for celebration of human rights in Africa?” 8 (1) Journal of Media Law (2016), pp. 67-97.

“Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in Eastern and Southern Africa: Some Reflections on their Legal Framework,” 15 African and Asian Studies (2016), pp. 289-335.

“State, Religion and Law in Cameroon: Regulatory Control, Tension and Accommodation,” 57(1) Journal of Church and State (2015), pp.18-43.

“Conceptualising a Framework for Inclusive, Fair and Robust Multiparty Democracy in Africa: The Constitutionalisation of the Rights of Political Parties,” 48(1) Law and Politics in Africa, Asia & Latin America (2015), pp. 3-27.

“Strengthening constitutional order and upholding the rule of law in central Africa: Reversing the descent towards symbolic constitutionalism,” 14 African Human Rights Law Journal (2014), pp. 412-448.

“The crisis of statelessness in Africa,” in Cesar Landa (ed.), The constitutional challenges of migration processes in the 21st century,” Tirant Lo Blanch, Bogota (2020), pp. 133-150.

“Constitutions and religion in Africa,” in Susanna Mancini (ed.), Constitutions and religion, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar (2020), pp. 157-171.

(With Gatsi Tazo), “Cameroon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Combating a deadly pandemic within a weak rule of law framework,” in Jose Serna de la Garza(ed), COVID-19 and constitutional law, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico (2020), pp. 3-12. (being an e-book).

“Africa and Transnational Constitutionalism.” In Oxford Bibliographies in International Law. Ed. Tony Carty. New York: Oxford University Press, DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780199796953-0216 https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199796953/obo-9780199796953-0216.xml

(With Serges Kamga), “The Cameroonian Special Criminal Court: The Futility of Combating Corruption Where the Basics of Constitutionalism are Absent,” in Charles Fombad and Nico Steytler (eds.), Corruption and Constitutionalism in Africa. Revisiting Control Measures and Strategies (OUP, 2020), pp.417-435.

“Corruption and the Crisis of Constitutionalism in Africa,” in Charles Fombad and Nico Steytler (eds.), Corruption and Constitutionalism in Africa. Revisiting Control Measures and Strategies (OUP, 2020), pp.15-65.

“Reconciling legal pluralism and constitutionalism: New trajectories for legal theory in the age of globalisation in Botswana,” in Guillaume Tusseau (ed.), Debating legal pluralism and constitutionalism. New trajectories for legal theory in the global age, Switzerland, Springer (2020), pp.103-113.

Regional and continental frameworks in Africa: The African Charter on Decentralization,” in Charles Fombad and Nico Steytler (eds), Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019, pp. 70-97.

“Cameroon and the anomalies of decentralization with a centralist mindset,” in Charles Fombad and Nico Steytler (eds), Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019, pp. 326-364.

“ National human rights institutions in eastern and southern Africa: Lessons and prospects for the future,” in Charles Fombad (ed.), Compendium of documents on National human Rights institutions in eastern and southern Africa, Pretoria, PULP, 2019, pp. 890-898.

“An overview of NHRIs in eastern and southern Africa,” in Charles Fombad (ed.), Compendium of documents on National human Rights institutions in eastern and southern Africa, Pretoria, PULP, 2019, pp. 5-19.

“Some Perspectives on Durability and Change Under Modern African Constitutions,” in Eunice Sahle (ed.), Democracy, Constitutionalism, and Politics in Africa;Historical Contexts, Developments, and Dilemmas, (2017), Palgrave Macmillan, pp 61-100 (republication).

“An overview of contemporary models of constitutional review in Africa,” in Charles Fombad (ed.), Constitutional adjudication in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2017), pp. 17-50.

“The Cameroonian Constitutional Council: Faithful servant of an unaccountable system,” in Charles Fombad (ed.), Constitutional adjudication in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2017), pp. 80-96.

“Constitutional adjudication and constitutional justice in Africa’s uncertain transition: Mapping the way forward,” in Charles Fombad (ed.), Constitutional adjudication in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2017), pp. 351-370.

Presidential Term Limits through constitutional amendments in Africa: Deconstructing legitimacy,” in Grant Masterson and Melanie Meirotti (eds.), Checks and balances: African constitutions and democracy in the 21st Century, EISA, Johannesburg (2017), pp. 45-58.

“Problematising the issue of constitutional implementation in Africa,” in Charles M. Fombad (ed.), The Implementation of Modern African Constitutions: Challenges and Prospects, Pretoria, PULP (2016), pp.10-24.

“Constitutional Implementation in perspective: Developing a sustainable normative constitutional implementation framework,” in Charles M. Fombad (ed.), The Implementation of Modern African Constitutions: Challenges and Prospects, Pretoria, PULP (2016), pp.218-235.

“The Expansion of Judicial Power in Africa and Democratic Consolidation: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Prospects,” in Muna Ndulo and Mamoudou Gazibo (eds), Growing Democracy in Africa: Elections, Accountable Governance and Political Economy, London, James Currey Publishers (2016), pp. 47-85.

“The Evolution of Modern African Constitutions: A Retrospective Perspective”, in Charles Manga Fombad (ed.), Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2016), pp.13-57.

“An Overview of the Separation of Powers under Modern African Constitutions” in, in Charles Manga Fombad (ed.), Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press ( 2016),pp. 58-92.

“The Role of Emerging Hybrid Institutions of Accountability in the Separation of Powers Scheme in Africa,” in in Charles Manga Fombad (ed.), Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press ( 2016),pp. 325-344.

(with Horace Adjolohoun), “Separation of Powers and the Role of the Public Prosecutor in Francophone Africa,” in Charles Manga Fombad (ed.), Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press ( 2016), pp.359-484.

"Cameroon." Encyclopedia of Law and Religion. General Editor Gerhard Robbers. Brill Online, 2015. Reference. http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-law-and-religion/cameroon-COM_00000019

(with Madeleine Fombad), “Rethinking Anti-Corruption Strategies in Africa: Constitutional Entrenchment as Basis for Credible and Effective Anti-Corruption Clean-Ups,” in Charles C. Jalloh and Olufemi Elias (eds), Shielding Humanity: Essays in International Law and Policy in Honour of Abdul G. Koroma (Martinus Nijhoff Brill, (2015),pp. 726-773.

Charles M Fombad (ed), Constitutional adjudication in Africa, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2017).

Charles M. Fombad (ed.), The Implementation of Modern African Constitutions: Challenges and Prospects, Pretoria, PULP (2016).

Separation of Powers in African Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press (2016).

(with Salvatore Mancuso), Comparative Law in Africa: Methodologies and Concepts, Juta & Co, Claremont, (2015).

Doctoral students currently registered with Charles Fombad

Tendai Mbanje - A comparative study of the approaches used by regional economic communities of the African Union in promoting credible and legitimate electoral processes in Africa.

Jan Erk - The relationship between traditional laws and modern law in Africa today: A comparative study of the Batswana Oromo and amaXhosa

Zelalem Eshetu Degifie - The militarization of constitutional democracy in Africa: The case of Ethiopia

Trésor Makunya Muhindo - Legal traditions and constitutional interpretation of bills of rights in Africa