10
Commissioning justice
Truth commissions and criminal justice
[A] Truth and Reconciliation Commission could
play an important role in ensuring justice and
accountability. Criminal courts, by themselves,
may not be suited to reveal the broadest spectrum
of crimes that took place during a period of
repression, in part because they may convict only
on proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In situations
of mass crime, such as have taken place in
Darfur, a relatively limited number of
prosecutions, no matter how successful, may not
completely satisfy victims’ expectations of
acknowledgement of their suffering. What is
important, in Sudan, is a full disclosure of the
whole range of criminality.
Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the United Nations Secretary-General, pursuant to Security Council
Resolution 1564 of 18 September 2004, 25 January 2005, p156, para 617.
TRUTH COMMISSIONS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN 2005 AND 2010 (7)
Republic of Korea: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2005; Liberia: Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, 2005; Canada: Indian Residential Schools Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, 2006; Ecuador: Truth Commission (Comisión de la
Verdad), 2007; Solomon Islands: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2008;
Kenya: Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, 2008; Togo: Truth, Justice
and Reconciliation Commission (Commission Vérité, Justice et Réconciliation),
2009.
The truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Kenya is the second truth commission to operate
in a country where the ICC is conducting an investigation.
Amnesty International April 2010
Index: POL 30/004/2010