The London Conference on the Future of Law in Africa, meeting at Westminster from 28th December, 1959 to 8th January, 1960, and attended by leading judicial and legal representatives from many English-speaking African countries, incidentally examined the problem of legal education in and for Africa (for which see the Conference Record, Chapter 13). The discussions were centred on the problems of East Africa, since it was here that the absence of provision for local training was making itself most felt. Because of the gravity and urgency of the problem, the Conference recommended that a committee should be set up without delay to go into the whole matter.

The object of this paper is to show how far the Common Law has in the course of its adoption in Africa lost this distinctive feature, to indicate some of the reasons for this loss, and to describe the institution which has taken its place in criminal trials upon indictment.