Technologies of justice: forensics and the evolution of transitional justice

Abstract

Despite growing scholarly attention to normative and institutional influences promoting international accountability, limited attention has been paid to the transformative role of forensic technologies in reshaping how societies deal with their violent past. The paper contributes to transitional justice debates by revealing the revolutionary, yet undertheorized, role of forensic technologies of justice in advancing victims’ struggle for truth, accountability, and human rights. On one hand, the application of forensic tools has enabled the identification of human remains for humanitarian purposes, while, on the other hand, incriminatory evidence from exhumations is deemed critical to secure the conviction of perpetrators of gross human rights violations. Drawing on interviews with judges, prosecutors, forensic experts, and policymakers, the paper traces the specific pathways through which these tools affect accountability in post-conflict settings. It sheds light on the relationship between the availability of forensic tools to investigate human rights violations and the evolution of transitional justice.