Transitional Justice in Comparative Perspective

What if we could change the conditions in post-conflict/post-authoritarian countries to make transitional justice work better? This book argues that if the context in countries in need of transitional justice can be ameliorated before processes of transitional justice are established, they are more likely to meet with success. As the contributors reveal, this can be done in different ways. At the attitudinal level, changing the broader social ethos can improve the chances that societies will be more receptive to transitional justice. At the institutional level, the capacity of mechanisms and institutions can be strengthened to offer more support to transitional justice processes. Drawing on lessons learned in Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, Lebanon, Palestine, and Uganda, the book explores ways to better the conditions in post-conflict/post-authoritarian countries to improve the success of transitional justice. Samar El-Masri is Adjunct Professor at both the Centre for Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction at The University of Western Ontario and the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University, Canada. Tammy Lambert is Researcher in Political Science and Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction at The University of Western Ontario. Joanna R. Quinn is Director of the Centre for Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction at The University of Western Ontario. This book emerges from the research program of the Centre for Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction at The University of Western Ontario.