Courts administering African customary law in addition, as a rule, to statute law within specified limits, have been characteristic of territories in Africa with a background of British colonial administration. Such courts operate or operated in both urban and rural areas and have been known at various times in different territories as native courts, local courts or customary courts. A general account of these courts and the nature of the dualism produced by their existence side by side with other courts of the judiciary is provided by R. E. Robinson.