Despite some significant attempts to theorize transitional justice, the field suffers from a conceptual deficit. Due to the lack of theoretical frameworks, it is difficult to delineate the nature of transitional justice and what and who transitional justice is for. This, in turn, may contribute to the abuse of transitional justice measures by the repressive regimes, putting into question the relation between transitional justice, the rule of law and democracy.

The workshop aims to target this deficit by creating a platform for discussion on the scope, the meaning and the theoretical framework(s) of transitional justice. Scholars from all disciplines and professionals working within the field are invited to submit a proposal. The contributions may cover one of the following topics (although the list is by no means exhaustive):

1. Theories of transitional justice. What is the best way to conceptualize transitional justice? What should a good theory of the field include? Is it possible to create a unified theory of transitional justice, viable across all cultures and contexts? In what way should the perspective of victims shape transitional justice theory? What normative criteria for the design of retrospective measures should a normative framework include?

2. The scope of the field. What differentiates transitional justice from other types of justice? What issues, mechanisms and contexts are or should be covered by transitional justice – and which should not? How to address the transformative turn in transitional justice? What should (transformative) transitional justice not be concerned with?

3. Transitional justice in the time of crisis. What does the recent wave of populism and authoritarianism mean for the future of transitional justice? How can transitional justice address this illiberal turn, as well as environmental harms, rising social inequalities and migration crisis? What can transitional justice bring into the modern discourse on the rule of law, justice and the future of democracy, in the face of the ongoing erosion of the international consensus relating to these terms?

4. Transitional justice and marginalization. How can transitional justice be remodeled in order to fight rather then replicate structural inequities? What does the ‘bottom-up’ approach mean in practice? How to reshape transitional justice from the perspective of the vulnerable and marginalized (including indigenous people, minorities, women, youth and LGBTQ+ people)? What parts of the transitional justice normative framework (if any) are its core and identity – and which are contingent of the way the West thinks about justice? What and whose interests does transitional justice serve?

Submission with a short abstract (up to 500 words) should be sent by March 31st, 2024 to Michał Krotoszyński (michal.krotoszynski@amu.edu.pl) or Mateusz Grabarczyk (matgra@amu.edu.pl). The convenors will inform the contributors whether their paper was accepted by April 14th, 2024. Please note that all accepted presenters must register as Congress participants (till April 30th, 2024 via https://ivr2024.org/sub.php?menu_number=526)