Transitional Justice and Civil Society
Transitional Justice and Civil Society

Summary/Abstract: The subject of transitional justice has emerged in recent years as one of the fastest growing domains of theory and practice within the broader field of international human rights. Broadly speaking, transitional justice focuses on the question of how societies in transition from war to peace, or from authoritarian rule to democracy, can and have addressed legacies of mass abuse. The aim of transitional justice is to confront these legacies in a broad and holistic manner. In practice, the discipline focuses on four main mechanisms: criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, victim reparation programs, and vetting procedures. Additional cross-cutting themes should be considered in order to effectively confront a legacy of mass abuse. The paper provides an overview of transitional justice mechanisms and thematic considerations, and identifies potentially constructive roles that civil society actors can play in a transitional justice process.

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