Restorative Justice and Reparation: Challenges of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace Before a Relationship under Construction

Abstract

Restorative justice is a guiding principle for the entire Integral System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition. In the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the principle radiates sanctions and conditionality, and each stage of the procedure must be strictly consistent with such paradigm and its purposes: victim’s reparation, reconciliation and the rebuilding of social structures. However, despite its importance, there are still critical gaps regarding the scope of the principle and its relationship with other components of the transitional justice model. Therefore, the paper analyzes the concept of restorative justice and its relationship with other components, particularly reparation from an analytical perspective. It also raises Colombia’s challenges regarding the materialization of the principle, especially for the SJP. The proposals, far from constituting magical formulas, raise discussions and debates that must be addressed, to ensure that this guiding paradigm contributes to the construction of peace in Colombia.

La justicia restaurativa constituye un paradigma orientador de todo el sistema integral de verdad, justicia, reparación y no repetición. En la juridicción especial para la paz, el principio no sólo irradia las sanciones propias y la condicionalidad, sino que cada etapa del procedimiento debe guardar estricta coherencia con tal paradigma y con sus fines: la reparación de las víctimas, la reconciliación y la reconstrucción del tefjido social.