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Living On The Past: The Role Of Truth Commissions In Post-Conflict Societies And The Case Study Of Northern Ireland, Christopher K. Connolly

Cornell International Law Journal

Examines the possibility of applying the truth commission model in Northern Ireland where the past plays a significant role in shaping daily lives & worldviews. A review of the theory & practice of truth commissions is followed by a description of Northern Ireland's long & complex conflicts that point to the need for some form of truth-seeking. Attention is given to the difficulties such a process would face. Three recent truth-seeking initiatives are critiqued: the Northern Ireland Victims' Commissioner; the Bloody Sunday Inquiry; & a series of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights. A framework is presented for …