War and justice in Colombia: The phenomenon, use and impact of ‘during-conflict justice’ during the armed conflict
Of central importance in transitions from war to peace are often questions of how to deal with massive human rights abuses committed during war. While transitional justice, which utilizes judicial and quasi-judicial measures when war is over, has been widely researched in recent years, the use of similar measures during conflict has received correspondingly little attention. This PhD project seeks to generate more knowledge on the phenomenon, the use as well as the impact of judicial and quasi-judicial measures during conflict, and hence enhance our understanding of and ability to use such measures to influence conflict resolution and peacebuilding. To do so, I investigate the measures taken in the civil war in Colombia.
Colombia is a particularly fascinating case in which to examine these questions with its long history of judicial and quasi-judicial measures to address such abuses both well before a transition took place and after. While questions of transitional justice are of key importance in many transitions from war to peace today, this may be particularly so in Colombia, where transitional justice measures are center stage in the country’s uneasy path to peace.