ABSTRACT
We have been at pains to stress that the pluralistic nature of the African ‘modern’ town’s social structure involves a good deal of latent hostility on the part of the ethnic and tribal groups concerned, which is apt, on occasion, to break out into open conflict. True, there are law enforcement agencies, including sometimes a system of tribal administration under the jurisdiction of men approved by the tribal groups themselves. These courts deal with a number of minor offences and, as in Freetown, these ‘Tribal Rulers’ act as intermediaries between their own people and the municipal authority to whom the courts over which they preside are held responsible.1 In addition, of course, there are magistrates’ courts and other modern tribunals to punish other and more serious crimes which the police bring to attention. But as a means of maintaining public order, the latter body is small in size and untrained in methods of detection and has frequently to deal with people whose language the policeman does not understand. Moreover, as in all societies, the maintenance of law and order depends, in the last analysis, upon a high degree of public consensus as to what constitutes ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ behaviour.
