Burkina Faso has banned colonial-era judicial wigs, embracing cultural identity and advancing efforts to decolonise the nation’s legal system.
Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traoré, has officially prohibited judges from wearing British and French colonial-era wigs, in a landmark effort to decolonise the nation’s judiciary.
In making the announcement, President Traoré emphasised the need to abandon colonial-era customs and adopt practices that honour Burkina Faso’s cultural identity.
The measure aligns with his wider initiative to strengthen national identity and affirm the country’s independence from foreign influences. The colonial wigs, which have historically represented external control within African judicial systems, are now being set aside.