Augustin Emane and Thelma Bendome-Emane's book presents an original overview of labor law in Mali. It also raises many questions, not only about the need to legislate, but also about the art of legislating.

As a commented Malian labor code nourished by comparative law, as well as a practical guide to labor law, the commented Malian labor code will be an invaluable tool for researchers, judges, lawyers, trade unionists, human resources managers and company directors, each of whom will find something to act on. When Augustin Emane asked me to write the preface to this book, I accepted enthusiastically, out of esteem for him and his expertise in labor law in general and African labor law in particular; because of the specific nature of labor law at the crossroads of social, political and economic issues; and because of the usefulness of commentaries on monuments such as codes, whose purpose is to facilitate their interpretation, i.

e. to determine, beyond the text, the higher standard to be applied.

Having some experience with code commentaries, I thought my task would be easy. But when I came across the commentary to be prefaced, I immediately realized how difficult the task would be, given the wealth of innovations in the work.

Prof. Paul-Gérard Pougoué (The University of Yaounde II, Cameroon).

Excerpt from the preface. .

. "Taking Rights Seriously", Ronald Dworkin's powerful phrase (1977 Taking Rights Seriously, Cambridge, MS, Harvard University Press.

), is at the heart of Augustin Emane's book. The author scrutinizes Mali's labor law, unearthing its founding texts.

Taking the law seriously means knowing its foundations. The author provides us with all the tools governing the world of work, as seen by the State since independence.

In so doing, he uncovers the roots of the system and, not without elegance, exposes its colonial antecedents. This exceptional document makes it easy to compare Mali with other countries, such as Gabon, for which we have an excellent similar study by the same author.

by the same author (2013 Libreville, Editions Raponda Walker). This to-and-fro between the legal registers of African and non-African countries lays the foundations for an in-depth study of politically, historically, geographically and socially distant fields.

Mamadou Diawara (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany). Excerpt from the afterword.

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L'ouvrage d'Augustin Emane et de Thelma Bendome-Emane présente un panorama original du droit du travail en vigueur au Mali. C'est aussi l'occasion de nombreuses interrogations, non seulement sur le besoin de légiférer mais aussi l'art de légiférer.

Code du travail malien commenté nourri de droit comparé, en même temps que Guide pratique de droit du travail, le Code du travail malien commenté sera un outil précieux pour le chercheur, le juge, l'avocat, le syndicaliste, le responsable des ressources humaines ou encore le chef d'entreprise, qui y trouveront chacun matière à l'action. .