Utopia and the Doubters: Truth, Transition and the Law

Campbell, C.; Turner, C.

Abstract

Truth commissions have an intuitive appeal in squaring the circle of peace and accountability post-conflict, but some claims for their benefits risk utopianism. Law provides both opportunities and pitfalls for post-conflict justice initiatives, including the operation of truth commissions. Rather than adopting a heavily legalised approach, derived from Public Inquiries, an ‘holistic legal model’, employing social science fact-finding methodologies to explore pattern of violations, and drawing appropriately on legal standards, may provide the best option for a possible Northern Ireland truth commission.

Citation

Campbell, C., & Turner, C. (2008). Utopia and the Doubters: Truth, Transition and the Law. Legal Studies, 28(3), 374-395. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-121x.2008.00093.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 3, 2016
• Journal: Legal Studies
• Print ISSN: 0261-3875
• Electronic ISSN: 1748-121X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 374-395
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-121x.2008.00093.x
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1490865