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11. Decoupling: Gender Injustice in China’s Divorce Courts

Author:
Ethan Michelson and Yao Lu
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
Using 'big data' computational techniques to scrutinize cases covering 2009–2016 from all 252 basic-level courts in two Chinese provinces, Henan and Zhejiang, Ethan Michelson reveals that women have borne the brunt of a dramatic intensification since the mid-2000s of a decades-long practice of denying divorce requests. This talk discusses key findings from his new book of the same name. Michelson's analysis of almost 150,000 divorce trials reveals routine and egregious violations of China's own laws upholding the freedom of divorce, gender equality, and the protection of women's physical security. Michelson takes the reader upstream to the institutional sources of China's clampdown on divorce and downstream to its devastating and highly gendered human toll, showing how judges in an overburdened court system clear their oppressive dockets at the expense of women's lawful rights and interests.
Topic:
Women, Courts, Justice, Gender, and Divorce
Political Geography:
China and Asia

12. The Pursuit of Memory and Justice in Bojayá

Author:
Marlon Londoño
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
Twenty-one years after the Bojayá Massacre destroyed their town, survivors in the community of Bellavista Nueva in northwestern Colombia recount their story on their own terms.
Topic:
Transitional Justice, Conflict, Memory, Justice, and Extrajudicial Killings
Political Geography:
Colombia, South America, and Latin America

13. International Feminist Strike in Argentina

Author:
Virginia Tognola
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
A chronicle of International Women’s Day in Buenos Aires, focused on the demands of sexual dissidences
Topic:
Women, Feminism, Protests, LGBT+, Justice, and Gender
Political Geography:
Argentina and South America

14. Justice, the Beirut Blast, and Lebanon's Continued Crisis

Author:
Fadi Nicholas Nassar and Ronnie Chatah
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
MEI's U.S.-Lebanon Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar speaks to Ronnie Chatah - host of the Beirut Banyan and founder of WalkBeirut - about justice in the wake of the Beirut Blast. Why have family members of the blast's victims recently been arrested, and where does accountability lie as Lebanon continues to slip into further crisis?
Topic:
Accountability, Justice, Disaster Management, Economic Crisis, and Beirut Blast
Political Geography:
Middle East and Lebanon

15. Reflections on Victim-Centered Accountability in Ukraine

Author:
Kelli Muddell and Anna Myriam Roccatello
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Abstract:
Since Russian invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, the world has witnessed innumerable war crimes and other human rights violations, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians, summary executions, torture and ill-treatment, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), unlawful detentions, and forced deportation. In response, officials in Ukraine and members of the international community have launched multiple—and unprecedently expansive—efforts to investigate and prosecute these atrocities. Most, however, narrowly focus on criminal prosecution and often overlook the immediate needs and perspectives of victims. This paper examines the various actions that have been taken or are under consideration to investigate and prosecute war crimes and other human rights violations in Ukraine. It explores the myriad challenges they face and how tools from the field of transitional justice can be applied in tandem to deliver justice and reparation to victims and lay the foundation for a more inclusive and democratic Ukraine. The paper makes the case that criminal accountability is but one dimension of justice. For Ukrainians most acutely affected by the war, such as victims of torture and SGBV, as well as broad sectors of the civilian population whose lives have been upended and who now find themselves in desperate need, justice in fact entails a number of remedies including humanitarian assistance based on acknowledgment and repair. The authors further argue that the ongoing initiatives to investigate crimes committed in the war offer an opportunity. Specifically, the vast amount of documentation that government, civil society, and international actors have been gathering for use as evidence in criminal proceedings can be harnessed to advance other justice-related objectives. For instance, this information could serve a truth-seeking process that aims to establish a victim-centered historical record of the war and could inform the design of a more coordinated and forward-looking assistance program, including a much-needed reparations program.
Topic:
Reform, Criminal Justice, Accountability, Institutions, Peace, Justice, Reparations, Gender, Truth and Reconciliation, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Europe and Ukraine

16. A Way Forward for Justice and Accountability in Ethiopia

Author:
Stephen Rapp, Andrea Gittleman, and Danica Damplo
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Abstract:
This paper proposes a way forward for those who support justice and accountability for mass atrocities in Ethiopia. These options are posed in a rapidly changing policy environment: in the past year Ethiopia was invited to join the BRICS group of nations; countries are seeking to normalize relations with the Ethiopian government after the conflict in Tigray; and brutal conflicts in Sudan and elsewhere have focused international attention away from the situation in Ethiopia. The proposals below list available options which should be seriously considered by policymakers who want to properly address crimes of the past and develop strategies that mitigate ongoing mass atrocity risks to civilians in Ethiopia.
Topic:
Accountability, Justice, Atrocities, Crimes Against Humanity, and Armed Conflict
Political Geography:
Africa and Ethiopia

17. The Justice Gap and the Budget Black Hole: Promoting Justice through Budget-Based Work

Author:
Gustavo Maurino
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
Abstract:
The field of justice lags behind other sectors in linking fiscal and budget policies to the achievement of people-centered objectives because people assume the challenge to be primarily legal, and assessments are not often informed by fiscal costs, resources, and impact. This policy brief looks at how access to justice for all will remain elusive unless justice experts begin to evaluate and address the fiscal dimensions of the justice gap. In most countries, data on public and private investment in justice services is limited. Many countries do not have information on the levels of investment nor on the effectiveness of investment. Others assess only investment in traditional, formal justice institutions, which tackle just a small proportion of people’s justice problems. In the human rights and other fields, recognition has also grown in recent years that budgets are not just technical matters, but determinants of whose needs are prioritized and attended to. Budgets reflect political choices and priorities and lie at the center of democratic governance and accountability. This has led to a democratization of budgetary processes, with people increasingly participating in the process— demanding greater transparency and accountability from those responsible for budget design and execution. Further, this brief looks at how results-based budgeting models and performance-oriented budgets have been the most important developments in connecting budgets to substantive social justice agendas. Justice experts can learn from successful budgeting models implemented in other areas, including human rights budgeting, gender budgeting, equality and well-being budgeting, and green budgeting. Opening up justice budgeting and ensuring that it responds more effectively to people’s needs will require a comprehensive assessment of the social costs of unmet justice needs; the cost of services currently deployed; the potential costs of alternative interventions; and the impact of investment on the justice outcomes people need and want. Finally, this brief examines the importance of considering not only the institutional but the functional role of justice budgets in affecting social outcomes. This will require expanding the traditional conception of what constitutes justice services beyond formal courts and lawyers; basing investment decisions on evidence of what works to meet people’s justice needs; rebalancing investment to assist hitherto neglected communities and population groups; and considering the role of other sectors and of non-state actors in promoting or denying justice.
Topic:
Budget, Accountability, Investment, and Justice
Political Geography:
Global Focus

18. Multiple Doors to Justice in Kenya: Engaging Alternative Justice Systems

Author:
Susan Lee
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
Abstract:
People-centered justice means putting people and their justice needs at the center of justice systems and services. This entails broadening the pathways through which justice problems may be solved, improving the quality of peoples’ justice journeys, and investing in justice to prevent as well as resolve justice problems. Designing people-centered justice journeys also requires us to empower people and communities to act to prevent and address injustices while ensuring access to services by simplifying processes, supporting alternative pathways, and tailoring services to needs. This report profiles the development and implementation of Kenya’s Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) Policy to capture and share good practices from this people-centered approach. Through a review of relevant literature and interviews with key stakeholders from government, civil society, and development partners, this paper: Briefly covers historical and sociopolitical context from which the AJS Policy arose; Details the AJS Policy framework; Examines impacts and challenges in the early stages of policy implementation; and Highlights key takeaways for other countries and stakeholders interested in engaging customary and informal justice systems. It further explores Kenya’s experiences to provide governments, judiciaries, development partners, and civil society stakeholders ideas for integrating people-centered justice approaches in their own contexts.
Topic:
Accountability, Justice, Peacebuilding, and Alternative Justice Systems (AJS)
Political Geography:
Kenya and Africa

19. Southern Philippines: Making Peace Stick in the Bangsamoro

Author:
International Crisis Group
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Crisis Group
Abstract:
The newly autonomous area in the southern Philippines is progressing toward full self-rule, but delays in the associated peace process and renewed skirmishes are causing concern. With donor support, regional and national authorities should work to bolster the transition in advance of crucial 2025 elections.
Topic:
Elections, Peace, Justice, Autonomy, and Reconciliation
Political Geography:
Philippines and Asia-Pacific

20. Peace versus Justice: The coming European split over the war in Ukraine

Author:
Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard
Publication Date:
06-2022
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Abstract:
In the first 100 days of Russia’s war on Ukraine, European public opinion helped to solidify Europe’s political response. But a new poll reveals that diverging public preferences could weaken this unity. ECFR’s research shows that, while Europeans feel great solidarity with Ukraine and support sanctions against Russia, they are split about the long-term goals. They divide between a “Peace” camp (35 per cent of people) that wants the war to end as soon as possible, and a “Justice” camp that believes the more pressing goal is to punish Russia (22 per cent of people). In all countries, apart from Poland, the “Peace” camp is larger than the “Justice” camp. European citizens worry about the cost of economic sanctions and the threat of nuclear escalation. Unless something dramatically changes, they will oppose a long and protracted war. Only in Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Finland is there substantial public support for boosting military spending. Governments will need to find a new language to bridge the gap between these emerging camps, in order to strengthen European unity and avoid polarisation between and within countries. The key will be to present arms deliveries and sanctions as part of a defensive war.
Topic:
European Union, Refugees, Peace, Justice, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Europe, Ukraine, Poland, and Germany