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24 Windsor Y.B. Access Just. 201 (2006)
People's Tribunals: Legitimate or Rough Justice

handle is hein.journals/windyrbaj24 and id is 211 raw text is: PEOPLES' TRIBUNALS: LEGITIMATE OR ROUGH JUSTICE Christine Chinkin* The article examines the use of Peoples' Tribunals in seeking access to justice where none has been possible through more for- mal methods. It uses as illustration the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal that sought justicefor the so-called com- fort women, the primarily Asian women who were subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military before and during World War Two. The article briefly recounts the fate of the comfort women and then considers the legal and practical obstacles they faced in accessing justice at the end of the War. It outlines how towards the end of the 20th century the survivors broke their silence about these events and unsuccessfully sought justice through national and international mechanisms. The Women's Tribunal was created out of the failure to receive appropriate redress. From this particular example the article discusses more generally the concept of Peoples' Tribunals in delivering justice (especially gender justice) and assesses whether such institutions of civil society have any legitimate and effective role in providing justice where none has been given by the state. Cet article examine l'utilisation de Tribunaux populaires pour rechercher l'accs k la justice lorsque cela n'a pas iti possible par des mithodes plus formeles. f1 utilise comme illustration le Tribunal international des femmes pour les crimes de guerre qui visait la justice pour les soi-disant femmes de confort, les femmes surtout asiatiques qui ont iti assujetties h l'esclavage sex- uel par les militaires japonais avant et pendant la Deuxikme grande guerre. L'article relate brivement le sort des femmes de confortpuis considre les obstacles le'gaux etpratiques qu'elles ont dfi envisager pour acceder h la justice h la fin de la guerre. II decrit comment, vers la fin du vingtikme sicle, les survivantes ont brisi le silence au sujet de ces ivinements et ont recherchi en vain la justice par le biais de micanismes nationaux et interna- tionaux. Le Tribunal des femmes a tJ crii suite a linsuccs a obtenir des reparations appropriies. A partir de cet exemple par- ticulier, l'article discute defacon plus gn/rale la notion de Tri- bunaux populaires pour rendre justice (surtout la justice en rapport avec le sexe) et examine la question 4t savoir si de telles institutions de la socit! civile ont un role ligitime et efficace hz jouer pour fairejustice oi lPitat ne lapasfaite. Professor of International Law, London School of Economics and Political Science; Overseas Affil- iated Faculty, University of Michigan Law School.

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