The 1912 reform aimed to fuse African customs under increasing French supervision

Evidence

The second novelty of the I 9 I 2 reform was a decision to expand the French role in the administration of justice in West Africa. This decision, too, stemmed from Panty’s understanding of the special role the courts could play in uplifting Africans. He felt that the original provisions of the I903 decree did not encourage the colonial service to intervene as frequently or as uniformly as it should. The idea was not to allow diversity to persist, but to implant among the masses “the idea of a fusion, more or less complete, of custom, which will eventually give rise to a legislation reflective of both local necessities and the progress of modern civilization.” — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 414