Haiti's Failed Truth Commission: Lessons in Transitional Justice

Abstract

In the period after civil war or mass atrocity, trials and truth commissions have been used in a growing number of societies to try to bring about social repair and acknowledgement. Unfortunately, they often fail. The Haitian commission nationale de vérité et de justice sought to identify instigators, criminals, and accessories to the serious human rights violations and the crimes against humanity that had been carried out during the coup d'état, from September 29, 1991 to October 15, 1994, both inside and outside of the country. However, the Commission was beset by a number of problems that resulted in its ultimate failure to achieve goals including acknowledgement and reconciliation. This article considers those failures, and the lessons that can be learned from its experiences.