The Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Interest Group invites those ASIL members with a clear interest in justice and transition issues in fragile states, post-conflict and post repressive regime societies. Transitional Justice and Rule of Law represent two interrelated legal and political frames within which to assess and operationalize social change. Historically, Transitional Justice concerned itself with the theoretical policy and practical implications of dealing with past human rights violations in societies that have experienced either repressive politics or violent conflict. But in the past decade the field of transitional justice has grown exponentially, comprising theoretical debates, the comparative assessment of domestic accountability schemes, international criminal justice, the study of truth commissions, civil society, including gender and transitional justice, security sector reform and ethical-legal debates concerning reconciliation and the morality of compromise on accountability for gross and systematic violations of human rights. Rule of Law in the fragile and transitional arena involves efforts to break with former regimes, reconcile and redress the legacies of war crimes and other atrocities while forging a justice system and legal order that advances internationally recognized human rights norms, restores public confidence, and strengthens the fiber of civic society. Rule of Law encompasses institutional development and capacity building in justice, police and corrections, court administration and management, resolution of property rights issues and justice system reform. Transitional Justice and Rule of Law have clear overlap, as well as similar underpinnings in societies experiencing profound change. The range of scholarly outputs, the jurisprudence regarding domestic and international courts and the widening of governmental policy making and interest in this field is constantly expanding. This interest group provides a forum in which interested ASIL members can connect around these issues. The Co-Chairs would seek to convene an Annual Meeting of the group, to mainstream Transitional Justice and Rule of Law issues at the Annual ASIL meeting, and to provide one Annual independent forum (conference, symposium or other event) in which specialists and those interested generally in the field could meet and discuss strategic development.

Group Officers

Zachary D. Kaufman

Chair

Claudio Pala

Chair

Andrea Matacic Cayley

Chair

Jonathan Hafetz

Vice Chair