After Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, the courts were governed for a short time using Italian practices until fighting in Borama halted all progress. From 1993 to 1997, the Borama Charter mandated the formation of a newly independent judiciary that used pre-1969 laws.[8][9] Since the ratification of the Somaliland Constitution in 1997 the legal system has consisted of a mix of three legal frameworks, with judges alternatively applying Sharia law, British colonial law, and xeer.[3][10][11]