Transition and Justice

Reviews / Votes

'Transition and Justice offers a useful and timely resource on the diversity of transitional justice in Africa, now the central regional focus of eclectic transitional justice initiatives. More than that, the book's strength lies in its interdisciplinary approach to the field more generally. The collection brings a fresh and welcome approach to the field. It identifies three dialectics: 'new beginnings / past', 'lofty ambition / messy reality', and 'exceptional / ordinary' providing a valuable framing of current difficulties with both the theory and practice of transitional justice. It is an excellent book whose appeal goes well beyond those interested in Africa. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in questions of justice and peacebuilding in and beyond Africa, whatever their discipline.' -- Christine Bell, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Edinburgh, UK, author of On the Law of Peace: Peace Agreements and Lex Pacificatoria 'This superb collection of essays on transitional justice in Africa subjects the conventional language of new beginnings after a period of violence in Africa to rigorous scrutiny. The contributions to Transition and Justice: Negotiating the Terms of New Beginnings in Africa demonstrate the value of fine-grained empirical and ethnographic studies of international justice and aid mechanisms, documenting the continuities with the violent past, and highlighting the discrepancy between the elevated ideals of international humanitarian institutions and the actual justice practices on the ground. The volume is required reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between an international transitional justice agenda and local culture and conceptions of justice.' -- Richard Ashby Wilson, Professor of Anthropology and Law, University of Connecticut, USA, author of Writing History in International Criminal Trials