Colonial courts allowed one officer to act as both judge and prosecutor.

Evidence

Finally, Fitzpatrick decided to bring the prisoner to his court, where he was the judge and the prosecutor. Fitzpatrick laid out the case of disobedience and disloyalty against state authority and asked Hussen to defend himself. Hussen declined to take the bait. On the second day of the trial, Fitzpatrick, claiming that he was mindful of the generosity of British law, announced a sentence of twelve years in prison. Hussen declared that he would appeal this decision. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 207