Rule of law has emerged as an essential objective in assistance to post-conflict and post-crisis societies such as Somalia, Kosovo, Liberia and Egypt. This has led to a host of externally promoted programmes and projects on law reform, constitutional development and judicial training, and security sector transformation. Through UN Security Council resolutions and other means of conditionality, the rule of law is not simply promoted in post-conflict and crisis settings, but also enforced. A failure to adhere to the rule of law can result in donors withholding funds and political support. The employment of the concept as a standard and condition in state-building has national legal and political consequences. Clarity in communication on the rule of law is of great importance. This book provides a critical analysis of past and current rule of law promotion, and argues that despite past experiences of development and technical assistance, rule of law reform in war-torn and crisis societies operates in an autonomous field where best practices and lessons learned are rarely or only superficially acknowledged. Furthermore, there is a need for a reorientation of rule of law assistance to the core values of the concept in order to retain its independent and 'analytical bite', and to develop criteria that can guide reformers in the field. The author provides a comparative and systematic overview of how rule of law promotion has been put into effect and identifies challenges and opportunities for enhancing and strengthening norms, ideologies and methods for legal and judicial reform after war and crisis. About the book 'This compelling account of the role of international actors promoting rule of law in war to peace transitions argues that we have overreached. By prescribing value-laden rule of law reforms to formal justice institutions after war, we have created 'blind-spots': international actor accountability, informal and customary justice systems, and the procedures and outcomes of public administration. This important book argues that the real test of international rule of law interventions is whether they create spaces where conflict-weary citizens can demand, challenge, and participate in the creation of better local governance.' Professor Veronica L. Taylor, Australian National University and University of Washington 'In short, Sannerholm's pithy volume is an excellent primer for those interested in international rule of law reform efforts in countries emerging from war or crisis. He harbors no illusions about the challenges that these reform efforts face, and his criticisms of such efforts to date are realistic and incisive without succumbing to pessimism. Overall, Rule of Law After War and Crisis is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the foundational importance of the rule of law and the immense challenges the international community faces in establishing it where it is absent.' Kendall L. Manlove in International Law and Politics (2013) 953 About the author Richard Zajac Sannerholm holds a PhD in law and has experience in rule of law reform in post-conflict, crisis and transition countries, working as a researcher and adviser for international organizations, national agencies and non-governmental organizations. Zajac Sannerholm currently works as a researcher and project leader at the Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sweden.

Identifies the major weaknesses in the current United Nations system and proposes fundamental reforms to address each. This title is also available as Open Access.

How do rule of law programs contribute to conflict management? What strategies best address the challenges to securing the rule of law in fragile countries? What place do rule of law policies have in efforts to achieve stable and equitable development?The authors of Civil War and the Rule of Law address these fundamental questions, analyzing rule of law programs in the context of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding activities. Throughout the book, they emphasize the critical relationship linking the rule of law, security, development, and human rights.Agnes Hurwitz is in the Office of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. In 2004?2006 she headed the Rule of Law Project at the International Peace Academy. Reyko Huang, formerly a program officer at the International Peace Academy, is a doctoral candidate in political science at Columbia University.Contents: Civil War and the Rule of Law: Toward Security, Development, and Human Rights?A. Hurwitz. The Rule of Law: Conceptual Perspectives. Exploring the Rule of Law in Theory and Practice?R. Mani. Invoking the Rule of Law: International Discourses?B. Rajagopal. Conflict Prevention, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding. Conflict Prevention and the Rule of Law: Rhetoric and Reality?C.L. Sriram. UN Peacekeeping Operations and Rule of Law Programs?W.G. O?Neill. Transitional Codes: Laying the Foundation of the Rule of Law?C. Rausch and V. O?Connor. Transfer of Authority in Postconflict Operations: The Trope of Ownership?S. Chesterman. Addressing the Past: Reparations for Gross Human Rights Abuses?P. de Greiff. Linking Security, Development, and Human Rights. Beyond Restitution: Housing, Land, Property, and the Rule of Law?A. Hurwitz. Corruption: A Rule of Law Agenda?M. O?Donnell. Toward the International Rule of Law: Economic Instruments and Collective Security?L.B. de Chazournes. Counterterrorism and the Rule of Law?R. Huang. Conclusion. Conclusion?A. Hurwitz.

The major peacekeeping and stability operations of the last ten years have mostly taken place in countries that have pervasive customary justice systems, which pose significant challenges and opportunities for efforts to reestablish the rule of law. These systems are the primary, if not sole, means of dispute resolution for the majority of the population, but post-conflict practitioners and policymakers often focus primarily on constructing formal justice institutions in the Western image, as opposed to engaging existing traditional mechanisms. This book offers insight into how the rule of law community might make the leap beyond rhetorical recognition of customary justice toward a practical approach that incorporates the realities of its role in justice strategies."Customary Justice and the Rule of Law in War-Torn Societies" presents seven in-depth case studies that take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the study of the justice system. Moving beyond the narrow lens of legal analysis, the cases Mozambique, Guatemala, East Timor, Afghanistan, Liberia, Iraq, Sudan examine the larger historical, political, and social factors that shape the character and role of customary justice systems and their place in the overall justice sector. Written by resident experts, the case studies provide advice to rule of law practitioners on how to engage with customary law and suggest concrete ways policymakers can bridge the divide between formal and customary systems in both the short and long terms. Instead of focusing exclusively on ideal legal forms of regulation and integration, this study suggests a holistic and flexible palette of reform options that offers realistic improvements in light of social realities and capacity limitations. The volume highlights how customary justice systems contribute to, or detract from, stability in the immediate post-conflict period and offers an analytical framework for assessing customary justice systems that can be applied in any country. "

This book looks at why it's so difficult to create 'the rule of law' in post-conflict societies such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and offers critical insights into how policy-makers and field-workers can improve future rule of law efforts. A must-read for policy-makers, field-workers, journalists and students trying to make sense of the international community's problems in Iraq and elsewhere, this book shows how a narrow focus on building institutions such as courts and legislatures misses the more complex cultural issues that affect societal commitment to the values associated with the rule of law. The authors place the rule of law in context, showing the interconnectedness between the rule of law and other post-conflict priorities, such as reestablishing security. The authors outline a pragmatic, synergistic approach to the rule of law which promises to reinvigorate debates about transitions to democracy and post-conflict reconstruction.

Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I: Rules is a comprehensive analysis of the customary rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international and non-international armed conflicts. In the absence of ratifications of important treaties in this area, this is clearly a publication of major importance, carried out at the express request of the international community. In so doing, this study identifies the common core of international humanitarian law binding on all parties to all armed conflicts. Comment Don:RWI.