Justice After Atrocity: Lessons from Rwanda and Cambodia for Contemporary International Law and Conflict

Authors

• Jennie Hubbard

Abstract

In the aftermath of mass atrocity, the question facing survivors and policymakers is not whether societies will rebuild but how rebuilding will address truth, justice, and memory. Modern transitional justice systems trace institutional and normative roots to the post—World War II order, most famously embodied by the Nuremberg Trials, which first established that individuals could be held accountable for crimes against humanity. Nuremberg did more than punish Nazi officials; it articulated a legal and moral principle that the international community could, and sometimes must, assert jurisdiction to address mass crimes when domestic systems fail. Despite that precedent, global reactions to later atrocities have been inconsistent and often delayed.

Recommended Citation

Jennie Hubbard, Justice After Atrocity: Lessons from Rwanda and Cambodia for Contemporary International Law and Conflict, 2026 J. Disp. Resol. ()
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jdr/vol2026/iss2/15