The Layers of Legal Development in Myanmar

Melissa Crouch (2014) ‘The Layers of Legal Development in Myanmar’ in Melissa Crouch and Tim Lindsey (eds) Law, Society and Transition in Myanmar. Oxford: Hart Publishing

37 Pages Posted: 18 Oct 2014 Last revised: 13 Jan 2017

See all articles by Melissa Crouch

Melissa Crouch

University of New South Wales (UNSW) - UNSW Law & Justice

Date Written: October 15, 2014

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the development of the legal system in Myanmar, as background for the chapters that follow in this volume. It considers the origins of the law in Myanmar, the key influences on the development of the modern system and the direction it has taken. It seeks to go beyond the 'common law' label to consider the development of Burmese Buddhist law, the colonial legal system, the post-independence period, socialism, and military rule. It identifies that law has often been used by force across these political eras, and that the relatively shallow roots of current legal institutions, including a weak judiciary, present particular challenges for the uncertain future of law in Myanmar.

Keywords: Burma, Myanmar, common law, development

Suggested Citation

Crouch, Melissa Amy, The Layers of Legal Development in Myanmar (October 15, 2014). Melissa Crouch (2014) ‘The Layers of Legal Development in Myanmar’ in Melissa Crouch and Tim Lindsey (eds) Law, Society and Transition in Myanmar. Oxford: Hart Publishing, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2510404

Melissa Amy Crouch (Contact Author)

University of New South Wales (UNSW) - UNSW Law & Justice ( email )

Kensington, New South Wales 2052
Australia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
283
Abstract Views
1,673
Rank
196,517
PlumX Metrics