Customary and Statutory Laws in Community Development

Customary law has a vital role in governing community. Customary law, as the community-based form of legisla- tion, embeds an equivalent power as statutory law in many indigenous ethnic minority communities. Along with the statutory law, customary laws have significantly contributed to the promotion of self-management and self-accountability of every citizen and social group.

Customary law is seen as the adjustment of social relations, maintaining and promoting cultural values and identity within the traditional governance system of indigenous ethnic communities’ social structure.