Transitional Justice as a Guarantee of Non-Repetition: Testing the Colombian Model

Abstract

Designing a model for transitioning to peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict to prevent the repetition of massive and systematic human rights violations. From this perspective, transitional justice (TJ) would serve as a guarantee of non-repetition (GNR), insofar as it seeks to rectify the structural failures underlying such violations, thereby preventing ongoing or repetitive unlawful acts. This research explains how the Colombian transitional justice model has incorporated the GNR, the contributions offered by this design to other transitional processes, and some warnings. Given its content and purpose, the article appeals to a wide audience: those responsible for designing, monitoring, and implementing TJ mechanisms, academics, and anyone seeking to understand the overview of Colombia’s transitional system, along with the opportunities and challenges involved in achieving the goal of “never going back.”. © 2024, Universidad Catolica de Colombia. All rights reserved.