Transitional Justice versus Traditional Justice: The Basque Case
Publisher: ECMI Volume: 29 pages, pdf Description: Transitional justice is often understood as a field or a toolkit that facilitates the establishment of “justice” and rule of law in post-conflict societies. It is also the interdisciplinary understanding and study of that toolkit or field. This article explores to what extent transitional justice is a relevant way of understanding the transformations taking place in the Basque Country in the post-conflict situation created since the final ceasefire was declared by ETA on October 20, 2011. The article analyses different aspects of the field of transitional justice and the experience in Spain and the Basque Country. It underlines the prevalence of truth-seeking processes (over amnesia) and of addressing violations and victims’ suffering to conclude with the need to enhance the rule of law and traditional— individualised—justice and transitional justice.