The Question of Amnesty and Justice

The question of amnesty and justice have emerged as perhaps one of the most controversial and difficult aspects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is an issue that has plagued and troubled inquiries into the past all over the world because in part it means the official state sanctioning of forgiveness to the perpetrators of heinous crimes. If apartheid was a ‘crime against humanity’ as the UN declared, how does one forgive the perpetrators of such a crime? Does amnesty dispense with justice? Will justice ever be achieved in any meaningful sense if indemnity is provided to the perpetrators?2 Are Truth Commissions really seeking justice anyway? Is the question of amnesty in itself simply part of the political negotiations and compromise that many states go through in periods of transition? These are some of the important questions when it comes to the nature of amnesty. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.