Research Project The Standardisation of Transitional Justice: Consolidation, Innovation and Politics

Societies transiting away from war and repression often call for justice: By addressing past wrongs they may heal and enter a path of peace and democracy. Transitional justice (TJ) denotes institutional justice responses to past violence, such as trials, truth commissions, purges, reparations, reform, memorials and amnesty.
Implemented globally since 1970, TJ has recently been internationally standardised. It is now defined as consisting of 4 essential mechanisms: criminal justice, truthseeking, reparations and reform. The standard, however, promotes institutions that struggle to demonstrate beneficial transitional impact. This begs the question: How, why, and by whom has TJ been standardised? The project investigates the international standardisation of TJ politically and legally by analysing and comparing it across 4 cases (the UN, Uganda, Colombia and Syria). Cutting-edge research and dissemination are carried out by an international team from Roskilde University and acclaimed Ulster University TJ Institute.

News

Project Publication in Law Journal: Transitional Justice Standardisation in Uganda

20 January 2025 |

The Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law has published an article by project member Thomas Obel Hansen, based on interviews and focus group discussions with a range of Ugandan transitional justice actors and affected persons.

Two-Day Seminar on Corporate Impunity and Transitional Justice in Colombia

25 June 2024 |

Line Jakobsen co-organized and presented her research at seminar in Colombia bringing together researchers and practitioners around the topic of corporate complicy and transitional justice.

Taking the Question of a TJ "Blueprint" to #ISA2024

19 April 2024 |

Project panel at #ISA2024, the International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Convention in San Francisco in April 2024

Researchers

Line Engbo Gissel, Associate Professor, Roskilde University

Line Jespersgaard Jakobsen, Post-doctoral Scholar, Roskilde University

Thomas Obel Hansen Senior Lecturer, Ulster University

Wladimir Santana Fernades, PhD Student, Roskilde University

Contact

Project leader Line Engbo Gissel, Associate Professor, lgissel@ruc.dk
Brandon Hamber, John Hume and Thomas P. O’Neill Chair in Peace at Ulster University and member of Ulster University’s Transitional Justice Institute

Angelika Rettberg, Professor of Politics at Universidad de los Andes and Fellow at Peace Research Institute Oslo

Thomas Brudholm, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Copenhagen

Jeff Deutch, Activist and Director, Syria Archive, Berlin

Publications

Designing for Context: Pragmatic Transitional Justice and the Independent Institution on Missing Persons on the Syrian Arab Republic
Fernandes, W. S., 26 Mar 2025, In: Global Studies Quarterly. 5, 1, 11 p., ksaf028.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
The emerging corporate turn in transitional justice
Jakobsen, L. J., 15 Mar 2023, In: Cooperation and Conflict. 58, 4, p. 561-571 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review › peer-review
The Standardisation of Transitional Justice
Gissel, L. E., 1 Dec 2022, In: European Journal of International Relations. 28, 4, p. 859-884 26 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Activities

Taking Stock of Project Developments and Insights: DFF Project The Standardisation of Transitional Justice
Gissel, L. E. (Participant), Jakobsen, L. J. (Participant), Fernandes, W. S. (Participant) & Hansen, T. O. (Participant)
3 Dec 2024
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
International Studies Association (ISA) 65th Annual Convention
Gissel, L. E. (Participant)
5 Apr 2024
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organisation and participation in conference
7th Congress of the European Network in Universal and Global History (ENIUGH)
Gissel, L. E. (Participant), Stiller, A. (Participant) & Scheuzger, S. (Participant)
29 Jun 2023 → 1 Jul 2023
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organisation and participation in conference

More activities

Press-media

Colombia og ELN indgår våbenhvile - præsident lover fred i 2025
Jakobsen, L. J.
16/06/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media

Funding

The project is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. The project is supported with DKK 5,943,293.00 (EUR 800,000) over a 4-year period.

See the full project description here.

Insights

ARTICLE

The International Criminal Court risks blocking peace

The International Criminal Court prosecutes some of the most serious international crimes, but the court's procedure causes problems in some countries, according to new research by Assistant Professor Line Engbo Gissel.