Justice and Security Reform Development Agencies and Informal Institutions in Sierra Leone Law, Development and Globalization Series

Justice and Security Reform: Development Agencies and Informal Institutions in Sierra Leone undertakes a deep contextual analysis of the reform of the country?s security and justice sectors since the end of the civil war in 2002. Arguing that the political and bureaucratic nature of development agencies leads to a lack of engagement with informal institutions, this book examines the challenges of sustainably transforming security and justice in fragile states. Through the analysis of a post-conflict context often held up as an example of successful peacebuilding, Lisa Denney reveals how the politics of development agencies is an often forgotten constraint in security and justice reform and development efforts more broadly.

Particularly suited to upper-level undergraduates and postgraduate students, as well as practitioners, this book is relevant to those interested in security and justice reform and statebuilding, as well Sierra Leone?s post-conflict recovery.

Introduction Chapter 1: The United Kingdom’s ‘African Albatross’: DFID Policy on Sierra Leone Chapter 2: ‘Thicker’ Understandings of Conflict, Security and Governance Chapter 3: A Thickening Blue Line: Challenges of Informal Policing for the Family Support Units Chapter 4: Courting Local Justice: DFID’s Justice Sector Development Programme Chapter 5: Security and Justice Reform: Political and Bureaucratic Constraints Conclusion: Living with or Overcoming Political and Bureaucratic Confines

Lisa Denney is a researcher at the Overseas Development Institute working on issues of security, justice, development and fragile states. She completed her doctorate in International Politics at Aberystwyth University on security and justice reforms in Sierra Leone.