Cheryl Lawther – författare

Constructing Victimhood seeks to go 'beyond innocence and guilt' to expand the criminological, victimological, and transitional justice image of who we 'see' as victims, what we 'hear' as experiences of victimisation, and who makes these determinations. The book argues that the construction, reproduction, and politicisation of victimhood is structured not only by notions of innocence and guilt and the existence of complex victims, but by larger questions concerning the existence of complex hierarchies of victimhood that supersede simplistic notions of 'good' and 'bad' victims. Lawther also considers the exercise of voice, the role of silence and the silencing of certain variants of victimhood (in gender-based crimes for example), the politicisation of victims' groups and the impact of unresolved legacies of violent conflict. The author argues that in the failure to cast the transitional justice gaze more widely it is not only the 'voices in the cracks' that will be overlooked, but entire experiences of victimhood and victimisation.If transitional justice is to live up to its claims of being 'victim centred', widening its conceptual and practical boundaries to recognise the multiple and overlapping variables that construct and reproduce victimhood is essential. Pursuing this line of enquiry, Constructing Victimhood aims to change our understanding of victimhood in post-conflict and transitional contexts.

Truth, Denial and Transition: Northern Ireland and the Contested Past makes a unique and timely contribution to the transitional justice field. In contrast to the focus on truth and those societies where truth recovery has been central to dealing with the aftermath of human rights violations, comparatively little scholarly attention has been paid to those jurisdictions whose transition from violent conflict has been marked by the absence or rejection of a formal truth process. This book draws upon the case study of Northern Ireland, where, despite a lengthy debate, the question of establishing a formal truth recovery process remains hotly contested. The strongest and most vocal opposition has been from unionist political elites, loyalist ex-combatants and members of the security forces. Based on empirical research, their opposition is unpicked and interrogated at length throughout this book. Critically exploring notions of national imagination and blamelessness, the politics of victimhood and the tension between traditions of sacrifice and the fear of betrayal, this book is the first substantive effort to concentrate on the opponents of truth recovery rather than its advocates.This book will interest those studying truth processes and transitional justice in the fields of Law, Politics, and Criminology.

Truth, Denial and Transition: Northern Ireland and the Contested Past makes a unique and timely contribution to the transitional justice field. In contrast to the focus on truth and those societies where truth recovery has been central to dealing with the aftermath of human rights violations, comparatively little scholarly attention has been paid to those jurisdictions whose transition from violent conflict has been marked by the absence or rejection of a formal truth process. This book draws upon the case study of Northern Ireland, where, despite a lengthy debate, the question of establishing a formal truth recovery process remains hotly contested. The strongest and most vocal opposition has been from unionist political elites, loyalist ex-combatants and members of the security forces. Based on empirical research, their opposition is unpicked and interrogated at length throughout this book. Critically exploring notions of national imagination and blamelessness, the politics of victimhood and the tension between traditions of sacrifice and the fear of betrayal, this book is the first substantive effort to concentrate on the opponents of truth recovery rather than its advocates.This book will interest those studying truth processes and transitional justice in the fields of Law, Politics, and Criminology.

Providing detailed and comprehensive coverage of the transitional justice field, this Research Handbook brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore how societies deal with mass atrocities after periods of dictatorship or conflict. Situating the development of transitional justice in its historical context, social and political context, it analyses the legal instruments that have emerged. The Research Handbook is extensive in scope, with chapters discussing the concepts, actors, mechanisms and practices of transitional justice. They address the challenges of implementing a range of transitional justice mechanisms, including methods of truth recovery, criminal trials and reparation and lustration programmes. Going a step further, this book also expands the gaze of transitional justice to include underexplored areas, such as art and transitional justice, media and transitional justice and unique international case studies, such as Cambodia and Palestine. Timely and thought provoking, the Research Handbook on Transitional Justice will be of interest to both scholars and students, particularly those working in the areas of transitional justice and peace-building. It will also prove a valuable reference tool for practitioners of transitional justice and international criminal justice, helping to inform best practice.Contributors: A. Breslin, B.C. Browne, A. Davidian, S. Dezalay, P.J. Dixon, A. Fichtelberg, L.E. Fletcher J. Gallen, T. Hadden, T.O. Hansen, C. Harwood, R. Hodzic, C.M. Horne, E. Kenney, R. Killean, C. Lawther, P. McAuliffe, F. Mégret, L. Moffett, C. O'Rourke, J.R. Quinn, N. Roht-Arriaza, M. Schkolne, D.N. Sharp, L. Stan, D. Tolbert, C. Turner, R. Vagliano, H. van der Merwe, H.M. Weinstein

Providing a refreshing take on transitional justice, this thoroughly revised second edition brings together an expanse of scholarly expertise to reconsider how societies deal with gross human rights violations, structural injustices and mass violence. Contextualised by historical developments, it covers a diverse range of concepts, actors and mechanisms of transitional justice, while shedding light on the new and emerging areas in the field.Wholly engaging with the field's upward trajectory, this Handbook explores important new ground on existing issues of transitional justice, including masculinities, witnesses and the role of archives. This updated edition also engages with newly evolving areas of study, such as counter-terrorism, climate change, colonialism and non-paradigmatic transitions.With theoretical and empirical contributions from a rich array of world leading practitioners and scholars, this cutting-edge second edition Research Handbook is an invaluable academic resource for students and researchers of sociology, transitional justice, criminal law and human rights law. With expertly written chapters it also provides practitioners with a consolidated overview of the latest scholarship and analysis of legal and policy developments.