Beyond Legalism: Amnesties, Transition and Conflict Transformation

Amnesty laws are an important but often contentious way for states to quell dissent, end conflict or shield state agents from prosecution. This project aims to move beyond legalistic debates to produce an analysis of the consequences of enacting amnesty laws during transitional periods, based on fieldwork in five jurisdictions worldwide. The website contains the Amnesty Law Database comprising materials relating to over 500 amnesty laws enacted since the end of World War Two. This database is freely available to all users, who are encouraged to provide further information to enhance the profiles of the amnesty laws. The website also contains brief descriptions of the jurisdictions visited and detailed reports charting the history of amnesty laws and related clemency measures in each of the case study jurisdictions and extensive bibliographies of literature on amnesty laws and transitional justice in general, as well as specific bibliographies for each case study jurisdiction.