Introduction: ‘Moving On’? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice

7 Pages Posted: 2 Jun 2017

See all articles by Jennifer Balint

Jennifer Balint

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences

Julie Evans

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences

Mark McMillan

University of Melbourne

Nesam McMillan

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences

Date Written: May 30, 2017

Abstract

English Abstract: How are claims to justice formulated, invoked and confronted in relation to reports of mass human suffering? What notions of justice inform the scope and nature of official inquiries into harms and the responsiveness of governments to their findings and recommendations? Why, despite legal and public recognition of claims of injustice, does harm so often continue? This introduction to the Special Issue ‘Moving On’? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice critically reflects on the hypothesis that official responses to claims of injustice that focus on ‘moving on’ risk ignoring, or precluding, the structural causes and legacies of personal suffering and suggests an interdisciplinary framework within which to analyse the effectiveness of official responses to mass harm as mechanisms of justice.

Spanish Abstract: ¿Cómo se formulan, invocan y confrontan las demandas de justicia en relación con los informes de sufrimiento humano colectivo? ¿Qué nociones de justicia dan cuenta del alcance y la naturaleza de las investigaciones oficiales de daños y la capacidad de respuesta de los gobiernos ante las conclusiones y recomendaciones? ¿Por qué continúa tantas veces el daño, a pesar del reconocimiento legal y público de las denuncias de injusticias? Esta introducción al número especial 'Moving On'? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice hace una reflexión crítica sobre la hipótesis de que las respuestas oficiales a las denuncias de injusticias que se centran en "avanzar" corren el riesgo de ignorar, o excluir, las causas estructurales y los legados de sufrimiento personal y sugiere un marco interdisciplinario en el que analizar la eficacia de las respuestas oficiales a los daños masivos como mecanismos de justicia.

Keywords: structural justice, structural injustice, commissions of inquiry, royal commissions, post-conflict, Justicia estructural, injusticia estructural, comisiones de la verdad, comisiones reales, post-conflicto

Suggested Citation

Balint, Jennifer and Evans, Julie and McMillan, Mark and McMillan, Nesam, Introduction: ‘Moving On’? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice (May 30, 2017). Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2977205

Jennifer Balint (Contact Author)

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences ( email )

Level 4, John Medley Building
Melbourne, VIC 3010
Australia

Julie Evans

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences ( email )

Level 4, John Medley Building
Melbourne, VIC 3010
Australia
+61 3 8344 5933 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: www.minutesofevidence.com.au

Mark McMillan

University of Melbourne ( email )

Nesam McMillan

University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences ( email )

Level 4, John Medley Building
Melbourne, VIC 3010
Australia

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