Rough Justice: Rectification in Post-authoritarian and Post-totalitarian Regimes

Source: (2006) In, Elster, Jon, editor, Retribution and Repatriation in the Transition to Democracy Cambridge University Press, New York, pp.276-297

This chapter examines positive transitional justice, how and why post-authoritarian and post-totalitarian democratic governments legislate and proceed with the transfer of property, money or less tangible goods such as honors, jobs, and other privileges to persons legally recognized as entitled to compensation for acts that were committed in an organized fashion on behalf of previous nondemocratic regimes. Those entitled may have lost easily quantifiable assets such as movable and immovable property, or less quantifiable goods such as years of their life, jobs, health, or family members. (excerpt)