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Transitional justice in established democracies: a political theory
November 26, 2014 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Speaker(s): Dr Stephen Winter
Affiliation: Dept of Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland
Organised by: Conflict, Humanitarianism and Security
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Institutions of transitional justice now mark the political landscapes of established democracies. Apologies by Prime Ministers and Presidents have become commonplace, while public inquiries carry out what are, in essence, the operative purposes of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But why think such rectificatory practices characteristic of transitional justice? Transitional justice is usually associated with countries that are emerging from violent conflict or the aftermath of revolution. The polities considered in this talk (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) are paradigms of constitutional stability. Are their reconciliatory efforts only the pretence of transitional justice – its form without its substance? Answering ‘No’, this I will outline how established democracies are undergoing a transition and the role of rectificatory justice in the ‘new regime’.
About the speaker
Stephen Winter is a Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Auckland and author of Transitional Justice in Established Democracies (Palgrave 2014). He is currently in Ireland conducting research into the redress processes for survivors of residential institutions and the Magdalene laundries. See http://stephenwintertheory.wordpress.com/
This talk is organized jointly by the Conflict, Rights and Security Cluster at the Whitaker Institute and the Power Conflict and Ideologies Cluster in the Department of Political Science and Sociology