Using the Law to Change the Custom

Gani Aldashev, Imane Chaara, Jean-Philippe Platteau () and Zaki Wahhaj
Additional contact information
Imane Chaara: University of Namur and CRED

No 2010.60, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: We build a simple model of legal dualism in which a pro-poor legal reform, under certain conditions, causes the conflicting custom to go some way toward producing the change intended by the legislator. It then acts as an "outside anchor" that exerts a "magnet effect" on the custom. We illustrate this insight using examples on inheritance, marriage, and divorce issues in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. We also characterize the conditions under which a moderate pro-poor reform is more effective than a radical reform.

Keywords: Custom; Statutory Law; Inequality; Legal Reform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 K40 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cwa and nep-law
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Journal Article: Using the law to change the custom (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fem:femwpa:2010.60

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