Morality, Jus Post Bellum, and International Law ASIL Studies in International Legal Theory Series

This collection of essays brings together some of the leading legal, political and moral theorists to discuss the normative issues that arise when war concludes and when a society strives to regain peace. In the transition from war, mass atrocity or a repressive regime, how should we regard the idea of democracy and human rights? Should regimes be toppled unless they are democratic or is it sufficient that these regimes are less repressive than before? Are there moral reasons for thinking that soldiers should be relieved of responsibility so as to advance the goal of peace building? And how should we regard the often conflicting goals of telling the truth about what occurred in the past and allowing individuals to have their day in court? These questions and more are analyzed in detail. It also explores whether jus post bellum itself should be a distinct field of inquiry.

1. Post-conflict truth telling: exploring extended territory Margaret Walker; 2. Reparations, restitution, and transitional justice Larry May; 3. Addressing atrocity at the local level: community based approaches to transitional justice in Central Africa Phil Clark; 4. Timor-Leste and transitional justice: should we pursue international prosecutions for the crimes committed in East Timor in 1999? Jovana Davidovic; 5. Justice after war: economic actors, economic crimes, and the moral imperative for accountability after war Joanna Kyriakakis; 6. Child soldiers, transitional justice, and the architecture of post bellum settlements Mark A. Drumbl; 7. Our soldiers, right or wrong: the postwar treatment of troops C. A. J. Coady; 8. Democratization and just cause Robert Talisse; 9. Skepticism about jus post bellum Seth Lazar; 10. Law and the jus post bellum: counseling caution Robert Cryer; 11. Conclusion Andrew Forcehimes and Larry May.

Larry May is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University, as well as Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at Charles Sturt and Australian National Universities. He is the author of Crimes against Humanity: A Normative Account (Cambridge University Press, 2005), War Crimes and Just War (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Aggression and Crimes against Peace (Cambridge University Press, 2008), Genocide: A Normative Account (Cambridge University Press, 2010) and Global Justice and Due Process (Cambridge University Press, 2010). He is also the editor of International Criminal Law and Philosophy (Cambridge University Press, 2009).
Andrew T. Forcehimes is currently working on his Ph.D. in philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He has published articles on deliberative democracy, multiculturalism and decision theory.