Peace, Justice, and the International Criminal Court

OTJR working paper series: This paper argues that justice initiatives, and the ICC's work in particular, do not seriously impede peace processes. The paper shows instead that remaining firm on justice yields short- and long-term benefits that contribute toward peacebuilding.

The long-running debate about whether seeking justice for grave international crimes interferes with prospects for peace has intensified as the possibility of national leaders being brought to trial for human rights violations becomes more likely. The International Criminal Court (ICC), which is mandated to investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, began operations in 2003 and has already issued its first arrest warrant for a sitting head of state—Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. That the ICC operates while armed conflicts are ongoing fuels the justice versus peace debate.

Oxford Transitional Justice Research (OTJR) -The OTJR working paper series 2010

OTJR is an inter-disciplinary network of more than 150 Oxford staff and students working broadly on issues of transition in societies recovering from mass conflict and/or repressive rule. Founded in 2007, it is now one of the largest and most diverse academic communities conducting research in this field.

The OTJR working paper series provides an online forum where scholars and practitioners can disseminate their research and practical experiences regarding transitional justice. The working paper series is administered by Oxford Transitional Justice Research, based at the University of Oxford.