In post-conflict societies, the formal justice system is generally weak, may lack legitimacy, and often serves only a small portion of the population. Even with international aid and personnel, expanding the capacity and quality of the system generally takes several years. Various systems of non-state customary law often survive conflict far more intact than the formal courts, however, and may be in a position to play a vital complementary role in providing justice and a non- violent means for resolving disputes during the post-conflict phase. International actors have tended to ignore these customary systems in evaluating and administering post-conflict justice, as they are often inaccessible, controversial, and at times contravene international standards.
The United States Institute of Peace, along with the George Washington University and the World Bank, Justice for the Poor Program, will convene an international conference of leading practitioners, policy-makers and academics to discuss the most pressing issues of customary justice and legal pluralism in post- conflict states. The two-day conference will take place at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009.
For more details, and to RSVP for the conference, please visit http://customaryjusticeconference.eventbrite.com/.
The World Bank's Justice for the Poor Program event page may be accessed here.
