People’s Tribunals are independent, peaceful, grassroots movements, created by members of civil society, to address impunity that is associated with ongoing or past atrocities. As such, they offer society an alternative history and create a space for healing and reconciliation to take place that may otherwise be stifled by political agendas and legal technicalities. Since the 1960’s, People’s Tribunals have grown and developed to address many kinds of situations, from genocide to environmental degradation.
In this episode of the HJ Talks About Abuse podcast Alan and Regina Paulose discuss the concept of the People’s Tribunal and question their effectiveness.
In the context of that question they discuss:
- Can they be seen as legitimate responses to injustice?
- How do they work?
- What do they achieve that conventional legal models do not?
- So are they effective?
- How do we measure effectiveness, what does it look like?
Reference is made to the UKCSAPT – the People’s Tribunal established in the UK to examine child sexual abuse.