Mechanisms of Transitional Justice

Abstract

How should countries emerging from authoritarian rule or protracted civil war deal with the human rights abuses committed by the previous regime and members of society? This is an important question because how governments address the past human rights abuses affects the present and future relationship between perpetuators and victims, as well as a country’s transition to democracy and the legitimacy of the new political system. Over the last three decades, various mechanisms of transitional justice have been developed with the objectives of uncovering the truth of events, providing accountability for crimes, and promoting individual and societal reconciliation. The study of transitional justice has produced a broad literature that explores under what conditions different accountability mechanisms, whether domestically driven or internationally inspired, are capable of addressing the human rights violations and assisting in the consolidation of democracy.