ABSTRACT
For states emerging from periods of conflict and repression, transitional justice seeks to deal with legacies of abuse and end impunity for those responsible for humanity’s gravest crimes. Popularized in the late 20th century, transitional justice aims to prevent future human rights violations, provide reparations for victims, and contribute to national reconciliation and peacebuilding processes. As a mechanism for international conflict management, transitional justice takes many forms including criminal trials, truth commissions, reparations, lustration, and amnesty. This chapter discusses the development of transitional justice mechanisms over time, emphasizing the distinction between domestic and international processes, the critiques of these various processes, and the application of multiple methods in the post-conflict period. Using cases including Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Chile, the chapter asks questions regarding the relationship between peace and justice and raises some of the ethical considerations surrounding the selection of transitional justice mechanisms.
