CHALLENGES RESEARCHING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AFRICA

This research paper outlines the systemic challenges of studying crime and criminal justice in Africa, emphasizing the impact of political repression, the legacy of colonialism, and the scarcity of reliable official data. It highlights how 'African solidarity' can lead to non-compliance with international legal protocols and suggests that regional cooperation through the African Union and SARPCCO offers a path toward greater transparency and institutionalized research.

• Researchers in Africa face significant obstacles in negotiating access to data and personnel, particularly in repressive states where they may be accused of spying or face severe bureaucratic frustration. In some instances, researchers have reported needing to provide small bribes, such as beer, food, or transport, to officials to gain access to criminal case dockets.
• There is a critical dearth of reliable crime statistics across the continent, with data available for only about half of African countries. This lack of data is often an institutional problem, and official records frequently conceal the 'dark figure' of crime, forcing researchers to rely on anecdotal information or incomplete unofficial sources.

APA

Kinnes, I. (n.d.). CHALLENGES RESEARCHING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/22OCT09KINNES.PDF

Chicago

Kinnes, Irvin. CHALLENGES RESEARCHING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/22OCT09KINNES.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kinnes |first1=Irvin |title=CHALLENGES RESEARCHING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AFRICA |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/22OCT09KINNES.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kinnesndchallenges, author = {Kinnes, Irvin}, title = {{CHALLENGES RESEARCHING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AFRICA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/22OCT09KINNES.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }