[TimorLesteStudies] Competing Concepts of Justice in East Timor

[Jenny]

>A new aritcle has been published in the East Timor Law Journal:
>
>Title: The Commission of Truth and Friendship Indonesia-Timor Leste: 
>Competing Concepts of Justice
>
>Author: Andrew Harrington Joint B.A (Hon.), LL.B / M.A. 
>International Affairs Norman Paterson School of International 
>Affairs & Faculty of Common Law, University of Ottawa
>
>Citation: 2007 ETLJ 7
>
>Publication Date: 5 December 2007
>
>Address: 
><http://www.eastimorlawjournal.org/Commission_Truth_Friendship_East_Timor_Competing_Concepts_of_Justice_Harrington.pdf>http://www.eastimorlawjournal.org/Commission_Truth_Friendship_East_Timor_Competing_Concepts_of_Justice_Harrington.pdf 
>
>
>Extract:
>This paper analyzes the CTF's mandate, criticisms against it, and 
>its supporting arguments. The debate over the CTF can be distilled 
>into the two camps; 1. The "principled position", which sees 
>international penal justice proponents demanding justice out of 
>'principle', and who see justice and the 'rule of law' as goals in 
>and of themselves, rather than processes; 2. The "realist position" 
>which sees justice as means to an end, namely stability, peace, 
>democracy, and good governance, and thus are willing to pursue 
>various modes of justice with the process being just as much an end 
>as the final outcome itself. The realist camp would dispense with 
>penal justice were it unable to contribute to the 'ultimate goal', 
>whereas the principled position dogmatically pushes for prosecution. 
>The principled position criticizes the process as failing to deliver 
>international justice, 'whitewashing' the past and ignoring victim 
>concerns. 20 The realist camp sees the CTF as an ends-driven process 
>and representative of a genuine attempt by both nations to move 
>beyond their shared violent past, thus achieving their own 
>definition "justice", rooted in shared collectivist cultural values. 
>Regardless of the outcome of the CTF as 'success' or 'failure' in 
>the eyes of either camp, the findings do not bar Security Council 
>action in establishing an international tribunal.
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>
>
>Warren L. Wright BA LLB
>Publisher
><http://www.eastimorlawjournal.org/>East Timor Law Journal - Towards 
>the rule of law in Timor-Leste.
>