Truth, Denial And Transition Paperback English by Cheryl Lawther - 18 Jul 2015

India

Cheryl Lawther

Truth, Denial and Transition: Northern Ireland and the Contested Past makes a unique and timely contribution to the transitional justice field. In contrast to the focus on truth and those societies where truth recovery has been central to dealing with the aftermath of human rights violations, comparatively little scholarly attention has been paid to those jurisdictions whose transition from violent conflict has been marked by the absence or rejection of a formal truth process. This book draws upon the case study of Northern Ireland, where, despite a lengthy debate, the question of establishing a formal truth recovery process remains hotly contested. The strongest and most vocal opposition has been from unionist political elites, loyalist ex-combatants and members of the security forces. Based on empirical research, their opposition is unpicked and interrogated at length throughout this book. Critically exploring notions of national imagination and blamelessness, the politics of victimhood and the tension between traditions of sacrifice and the fear of betrayal, this book is the first substantive effort to concentrate on the opponents of truth recovery rather than its advocates. This book will interest those studying truth processes and transitional justice in the fields of Law, Politics, and Criminology.

1138944890

9781138944893

English

Taylor And Francis Ltd

18 Jul 2015

Cheryl Lawther is a Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast. Her article: "Securing' the Past: Policing and the Contest over Truth in Northern Ireland', British Journal of Criminology, 2010, 50, 3: 455-473 was awarded the Brian Williams Article Prize by the British Society of Criminology in July 2011, in recognition of the best article by a `new' scholar.

Professor Colin Harvey, Professor of Human Rights Law, School of Law, Queen's University Belfast: "Dr Lawther's work is a timely and necessary intervention in discussions of the contested past in Northern Ireland. Her argument has considerable explanatory and normative power and assists greatly in understanding how unionism and loyalism grapples with the legacies of the conflict. This impressive volume is required reading for anyone seeking to understand transitional contexts where formal truth processes are not in place." Professor John Brewer, Professor of Post Conflict Studies, Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, Queen's University Belfast: "Great social science is mostly deeply embedded in personal experience and transitional justice studies is producing a new generation of young scholars struggling to understand the ambivalences of peace and the ambiguities of truth in the wake of some dramatic political transitions at the time of the new millennium. Cheryl Lawther is primary among them. She deals skilfully and intelligently with the problems Northern Ireland has in being reconciled to its past and has produced a first class book. Her work will be greatly admired by academics and lay readers alike." Professor Kieran McEvoy, Queen's University Belfast: 'This is what top notch transitional justice scholarship looks like. It is a formidable achievement and a very welcome addition to the Routledge Transitional Justice Series'