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The Development of Institutions of Human Rights pp 145–159Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Mixed Justice, Mixed Legacy: The Special Court for Sierra Leone

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Part of the book series: Perspectives on Comparative Politics ((PCP))

Abstract

Can a criminal court possibly be a legitimate answer to the needs of a postconflict society? This chapter presents some of the issues at stake during the negotiations over the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), and discusses how the specific features of the court have affected its legitimacy on the ground. The legitimacy challenges of the SCSL are seen in light of its dual role as both a backward-looking and forward-looking mechanism. As a criminal court, its main task is to punish past crimes, but it is also expected to have an effect on Sierra Leonean society.

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Authors
  1. Ellen Emilie Stensrud
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eastern Illinois University, USA

    Lilian A. Barria (Associate Professor of Political Science) & Steven D. Roper (Professor of Political Science) (Associate Professor of Political Science) &  (Professor of Political Science)

Copyright information

© 2010 Lilian A. Barria and Steven D. Roper

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Cite this chapter

Stensrud, E.E. (2010). Mixed Justice, Mixed Legacy: The Special Court for Sierra Leone. In: Barria, L.A., Roper, S.D. (eds) The Development of Institutions of Human Rights. Perspectives on Comparative Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230109483_10

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