Law on a wild frontier: Moroccans in the Spanish courts in Melilla in the nineteenth century

Abstract

The frontier between the Spanish enclave of Melilla and the surrounding territory of Morocco was disorderly for much of the nineteenth century. On the Moroccan side the control of the Sultan was often ephemeral, and the border itself was marked by raiding, and even more frequent smuggling. On the Melillan side, conflicts between individual Moroccans and Spaniards had to be mediated through the legal system. An examination of the particular cases illustrates the extent to which Spanish law was a tool that Moroccans used to protect their interests, rather than an ideological marker, or nationalist symbol.