Davis, Fergal (2000) Applying the principles of restorative justice to a post conflict situation in Northern Ireland. Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, Eleventh Annual Report 1998-99.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
It has been observed that the length of ‘The Troubles’ is difficult to assess. (Bloomfield: 1998, para.2.1) What is certain, however, is that Northern Ireland has been in a state of conflict for a considerable part of the past thirty years. Recently a ‘Peace Process,’ has developed which it is hoped will bring about an end to this conflict. In order for this to succeed there must be some form of reconciliation between the divided communities of Northern Ireland. (Reynolds: 1999) The purpose of this paper is to examine one possible method of bringing about an accommodation with the past, and as a result of this, achieve reconciliation between the communities of the North. The method proposed is that of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Such a Commission would examine human rights abuses by all sides in the conflict; paramilitary, military, government and non government in an attempt to allow the people of Northern Ireland to move forward to an agreed future. The title of this work refers to a ‘post conflict situation’ since it seems unlikely that a thorough investigation of the above organisations would be possible in any other circumstances.