Transitional Justice, Security, And Development Security And Justice Thematic Paper

At the highest level of generality, ‘transitional justice’ refers to measures that are implemented in order to redress the legacies of massive serious crimes under international law. 2 Despite abiding disagreements about the outside boundaries of the concept of transitional justice, consensus has been achieved about a set of core elements that a transitional justice policy minimally must include. These elements include prosecutions, truth-telling measures, reparations for victims, and some initiatives tending towards institutional reform, particularly the vetting of security sector personnel. Other elements frequently said to be parts of transitional justice include memorialization efforts as well as local justice initiatives. As in all attempts to translate concepts into practice, there are also plenty of debates about the best way to implement these measures.