The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee today publishes its report on the Consultative Group on the Past in Northern Ireland Report (HCP 171, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780215542687). This report concludes the Committee's inquiry into the feasibility of implementing the proposals made in the Report of the Consultative Group on the Past in Northern Ireland. The Committee reached the following conclusions, including: that Northern Ireland has not yet reached a consensus on how to move on from its recent past; also, it is not clear that Northern Ireland needs a Legacy Commission when bodies such as the Victims and Survivors Commission and the Historical Enquiries Team are already dealing in different ways with aspects of the legacy of the Troubles; that healthcare services, particularly mental health services, for those affected by the Troubles are under strong pressure; that any future Legacy Commission should be chaired, or co-chaired, by figures from Northern Ireland rather than by a foreign figurehead; that the Northern Ireland Assembly, rather than the UK Government, should ultimately be responsible for decisions on how to fund a Legacy Commission - and therefore on the width of its remit; and that clarification is required on what role the Irish Government would play in setting up such a Commission, and in particular on what financial contribution it would be expected to make.

Drawing on lessons from civil society in Northern Ireland, Beyond Social Capital examines the limitations of social capital theory in deeply divided societies. It draws on an ethnographic study of victim support groups and evidence from policymakers in Northern Ireland to reconceptualize the traditional bonding-bridging distinction in social capital theory. The role of leadership is particularly significant, as the book highlights the complex and compelling ways in which leadership supports and shapes the activities, practices and motivations of the victim self-help industry in Northern Ireland. Multiple dimensions of this industry are explored, including: social and victim policy; private, statutory, and voluntary sector collaboration; the political motivations of victim support groups; and the types of social capital being built in victim groups and the impact that this social capital has on victims and wider elements of the peace process. Importantly, Laura K. Graham challenges the prevailing notion that all forms of social capital are inherently good for civic organizations and associational life. Instead, a new form of social capital existing in divided and post-conflict societies is advanced. This form of social capital, called 'dysfunctional bonding', may have negative impacts, causing distrust within and outside a group and can be particularly problematic for those traumatized by political conflict. With international relevance, this book will be of great interest to those working in post-conflict studies as well as victim studies.

This book represents a critical examination of key aspects of crime and criminal justice in Northern Ireland which will have resonance elsewhere. It considers the core aspects of criminal justice policy-making in Northern Ireland which are central to the process of post-conflict transition, including reform of policing, judicial decision-making and correctional services such as probation and prisons. It examines contemporary trends in criminal justice in Northern Ireland and various dimensions of crime relating to female offenders, young offenders, sexual and violent offenders, community safety and restorative justice. The book also considers the extent to which crime and criminal justice issues in Northern Ireland are being affected by the broader processes of 'policy transfer', globalisation and transnationalism and the extent to which criminal justice in Northern Ireland is divergent from the other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom. Written by leading international authorities in the field, the book offers a snapshot of the cutting edge of critical thinking in criminal justice practice and transitional justice contexts.

The field of transitional justice has expanded rapidly since the term first emerged in the late 1990s. Its intellectual development has, however, tended to follow practice rather than drive it. Addressing this gap, Violence, Law and the Impossibility of Transitional Justice pursues a comprehensive theoretical inquiry into the foundation and evolution of transitional justice. Presenting a detailed deconstruction of the role of law in transition, the book explores the reasons for resistance to transitional justice. It explores the ways in which law itself is complicit in perpetuating conflict, and asks whether a narrow vision of transitional justice – underpinned by a strictly normative or doctrinal concept of law – can undermine the promise of justice. Drawing on case material, as well as on perspectives from a range of disciplines, including law, political science, anthropology and philosophy, this book will be of considerable interest to those concerned with the theory and practice of transitional justice.

This book charts the contours of the criminological enterprise in Ireland and brings together internationally recognized experts to discuss theory, research, policy and practice on a range of topics and in an international context.

This book asks how independent commissions helped to overcome difficulties during the implementation phase of the Good Friday Agreement. These independent groups worked to resolve issues which threatened to derail the peace process, including the reform of policing, the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons, the monitoring of ceasefires, dealing with the past conflict, and the issue of human rights. Each chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the work of a different group finding that the commissions engaged in a broad range of activities. Drawing on the lessons of Northern Ireland the book demonstrates the importance of balancing local and international involvement, the inclusion of expertise, and giving sufficient powers to such bodies. This volume appeals to academics and researchers in a range of disciplines such as politics, peace and conflict studies, international relations, and human rights law. It is of interest to readers who are interested in the Northern Ireland peace process and those seeking to understand how third parties can assist in the implementation of peace agreements.

The topic of sovereignty is contentious, and one of enduring interest. In a world of ever increasing economic globalisation, the rise of supranational regulation and the interconnected age of information and communication technology, among many other developments, have challenged the once exclusively held Westphalian model of sovereignty. The distinction between the internal aspect of sovereignty as expressed in terms of ultimate authority in a constitution, and the external aspect involving the relationship between sovereign states has been blurred. This has given rise to contemporary debates that explore the theoretical and practical implications of current challenges to established doctrines. Evidently no book could encompass the entirety of the contemporary debates on sovereignty. This is a book of essays focusing on sovereignty by a team of leading writers contributing domestic, European and international perspectives. The essays have been written at a time of very great testing of the institutional frameworks at every level: domestic, European, international or global. The book illuminates the enduring strength of sovereignty as a foundational concept and the continuing widespread appeal of sovereignty as an idea.

What role do transitional justice processes play in determining the gender outcomes of transitions from conflict and authoritarianism? What is the impact of transitional justice processes on the human rights of women in states emerging from political violence? Gender Politics in Transitional Justice argues that human rights outcomes for women are determined in the space between international law and local gender politics. The book draws on feminist political science to reveal the key gender dynamics that shape the strategies of local women’s movements in their engagement with transitional justice, and the ultimate success of those strategies, termed ‘the local fit’. Also drawing on feminist doctrinal scholarship in international law, ‘the international frame’ examines the role of international law in defining harms against women in transitional justice and in determining the ‘from’ and ‘to’ of transitions from conflict and authoritarianism. This book locates evolving state practice in gender and transitional justice over the past two decades within the context of the enhanced protection of women’s human rights under international law. Relying on original empirical and legal research in Chile, Northern Ireland and Colombia, the book speaks more broadly to the study of gender politics and international law in transitional justice.

The end of formal hostilities in any given conflict provides an opportunity to transform society in order to secure a stable peace. This book builds on the existing feminist international relations literature as well as lessons of past cases that reinforce the importance of including women in the post-conflict transition process, and are important to our general understanding of gender relations in the conflict and post-conflict periods. Post-conflict transformation processes, including disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs, transitional justice mechanisms, reconciliation measures, and legal and political reforms, which emerge after the formal hostilities end demonstrate that war and peace impact, and are impacted by, women and men differently. By drawing on a strong theoretical framework and a number of cases, this volume provides important insight into questions pertaining to the end of conflict and the challenges inherent in the post-conflict transition period that are relevant to students and practitioners alike.