Reforming Legal Education in the Global South: Colonial Legacies and Critical Pedagogy

Abstract

This study aims to explore how colonial legacies continue to shape legal education in the Global South and examine the potential of critical pedagogy as a transformative framework for reform. This article employs a scientific narrative review approach using a descriptive analysis method. Literature published between 2020 and 2025 was systematically reviewed through academic databases and selected based on relevance to legal education reform, colonial legacies, and critical pedagogy. Sources were analyzed thematically to trace conceptual developments, identify recurring challenges, and highlight innovative practices in legal pedagogy across various regions in the Global South. The review reveals that legal education in the Global South remains significantly influenced by colonial legal systems, characterized by formalism, exclusion of local knowledge, and limited accessibility. Reform efforts have emerged in the form of community-based legal education, inclusion of indigenous legal systems, transdisciplinary approaches, and digital learning platforms. Critical pedagogy has been increasingly recognized as a valuable model for addressing systemic inequities and promoting transformative learning. However, reform initiatives face challenges such as institutional resistance, political and economic constraints, and the risk of superficial decolonization. Transforming legal education in the Global South requires a shift away from inherited epistemologies toward inclusive, justice-oriented, and locally responsive models. Critical pedagogy provides the theoretical and practical tools necessary for such reform. Meaningful change will depend on sustained efforts to rethink the purpose, content, and methods of legal education within postcolonial contexts.