Transitional justice is usually associated with international criminal courts and tribunals, but criminal justice is merely one way of dealing with the legacy of conflict and atrocity. Justice is not only a matter of law. It is a process of making sense of the past and accepting the possibility of a shared future together, although perpetrators, victims and bystanders may have very different memories and perceptions, experiences and expectations.

This book goes further than providing a legal analysis of the effectiveness of transitional justice and presents a wider perspective. It is a critical appraisal of the different dimensions of the process of transitional justice that affects the imagery and constructions of past experiences and perceptions of conflict. Examining hidden histories of atrocities, public trials and memorialization, processes and rituals, artistic expressions and contradictory perceptions of past conflicts, the book constructs what transitional justice and the imagery involved can mean for a better understanding of the processes of justice, truth and reconciliation.

In transcending the legal, although by no means denying the significance of law, the book also represents a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to justice and includes contributions from criminal and international lawyers, cultural anthropologists, criminologists, political scientists and historians

About the Author
Chrisje Brants, Professor of Criminal Law and Procedure; Antoine Hol, Professor of Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy; Dina Siegel, Professor of Criminology, all at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Reviews

'The book can be recommended as a collection of well researched topics, whose authors use different methodological approaches, sources, and perspectives showing the complexity of memory production. As it avoids isolating one state or region, the book offers valuable insights into global processes of transitional justice, memorializations and memory works.' H-Soz-u-Kult

'A distinguished group of authors critically prise open images of transitional justice, with rich insights on mediated memory, music and theatre. Some brilliant re-framings of rituals of transition are in store for the reader.'
John Braithwaite, Australian National University, Australia

'An innovative, multidisciplinary perspective on transitional justice that makes a persuasive argument for adopting a more holistic approach to addressing "the wrongs of the past". This is a must read for anyone who is interested in reaching a more comprehensive understanding of these injustices and their existential meaning.'
C. Ronald Huff, University of California, Irvine, USA and past-president, The American Society of Criminology

'This book is about justice with a difference; justice which transcends legal procedures and is sensitive to memories, rituals and artistic expression. Beautifully written and with a deep understanding of its subject, it is not only a source of knowledge, but also of wisdom. I would warmly recommend it.'
Katja Franko Aas, University of Oslo, Norway

Book Information
ISBN 9781138256965
Author Chrisje Brants
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g