Larry May addresses reparations, restitution, and transitional justice

On March 8, Professor Larry May delivered a lecture entitled "Reparations, Restitution, and Transitional Justice" as part of the Program on Human Right's Sanela Diana Jenkins International Human Rights Speaker Series. May, a Professor of Philosophy and of Law at Vanderbilt University, presented his analysis of transitional justice and jus post bellum that has appeared in some of his 25 published books, as well as the many scholarly articles and essays he has written.

May began his lecture by explaining the historical origin of the idea of transitional justice, referencing the theory of distributive and compensatory justice as articulated by Aristotle. According to May, Aristotle's work could inform modern day thinking of how to achieve justice in transitional settings. Specifically, May argued that Aristotle's continuum of compensation to victims - ranging from excessive to deficient - reveals an unfortunate reality of transitional justice. This reality, according to May, is that in most instances the compensation to victims who suffer crimes against humanity is insufficient to rectify the injustices these individuals suffer.

After posing the rhetorical question of how the international community could even compensate the millions of individuals displaced or affected by the crisis in Darfur, May presented what he considers radical solution to this enduring problem. May suggested that the international community establish a worldwide fund out of which innocent and harmed citizens in war-torn countries would be compensated. While admitting that his solution may be logistically and politically problematic, May believed such a fund would be the only manner to provide true justice to affected people, as their governments may be themselves unable or unwilling to take such action.