"...the premise that customary justice systems are the preferred choice of users is grounded in salient practical and social rationale. Their speed, accessibility and cost-effectiveness make them a natural partner for disputants based in rural settings and isolated from the state system. Moreover, their focus on consensus-based decisions and the restoration of community harmony seems to respond to the needs of tightly knit communities whose members share close bonds of social and economic dependency..."...This is Chapter 1 of "Customary Justice: From Program Design to Impact Evaluation".