On July 10, 2019, Berihun Adugna Gebeye publicly defended his doctoral (S.J.D.) dissertation titled: “Legal Syncretism: A Theoretical Framework for Understanding African Constitutionalism”
The thesis argues that legal syncretism provides a better theoretical framework for understanding constitutionalism in Africa. According to Mr. Gebeye, prior studies of African constitutionalism had focused either on legal centralism or legal pluralism but that they either ignore the role of indigenous laws and history in shaping the constitutions of African states or they misinterpret the nature of the African state and its links with the society.
Professor Mathias Möschel was the supervisor of the project. At the defense the committee included Professor Markus Böckenförde (CEU) as well as Professor Kwasi Prempeh (Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development). The committee unanimously awarded Mr. Gebeye the grade of summa cum laude.
The Department of Legal Studies congratulates Dr. Gebeye on this achievement and wishes him success in his future endeavors.
