Wanh-Alel custom Laws

The Wahn-Alel Customary Law App is now available on Google Play.

This app provides easy access to customary laws, helping preserve culture and make knowledge available to everyone.

If you’re interested, download it today and explore.

📜 What is the Wanh‑Alel Law?
Wanh‑Alel (also written Wanhalel) refers to a codified set of traditional Dinka customary laws used historically in the Bahr el Ghazal region . These laws were agreed on by traditional chiefs and elders and deal with how serious offences especially in social and family matters should be settled within the community. �

Customary law like Wanh‑Alel has been used alongside formal state law in South Sudan.

🗓️ When Were the Wanh‑Alel Laws Made?
📌 1975 – First major codification of the Wanh‑Alel laws by a chiefs’ conference of Dinka elders in the Bahr el Ghazal region.
📌 1984 – These laws were restated or formally recorded again, reaffirming agreed compensation rules.

These dates mark when community leaders agreed on fixed compensation and penalties for key offences — not a modern government passing a statute, but a traditional legal framework accepted by local communities.

⚖️ Main Rules / Penalties Under Wanh‑Alel
Under these customary laws, many serious social offenses are resolved through compensation and reconciliation rather than prison sentences:

🐄 1. Murder / Blood Compensation
The offender must pay 30 cows to the deceased’s family as compensation.
In addition, they pay 1 cow as a peace settlement / court fine.
A chief and spiritual leader oversee reconciliation.
This system is known as blood compensation and is intended to restore harmony between families.

🐂 2. Adultery
A man (or woman) found guilty of adultery typically must pay 7 cows in compensation to the wronged spouse’s family.
This reflects social norms about fidelity and respect within marriage.

🐄 3. Impregnation / Elopement
If a man impregnates or elopes with an unmarried woman, the penalty is usually:
1 pregnant heifer to pay to her family .

plus minor cases