Chapter

The National Reconciliation Commission in Practice

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Abstract

In transitional societies where the rule of law is in limbo and state institutions are usually fragile, implementation of mechanisms to address gross human rights violations can prove to be an arduous journey, and the establishment of truth commissions in such contexts is filled with several uncertainties. In as much as the work of a truth commission depends on its enabling laws, the extent to which the commission’s procedures comply with international human rights law is a defining element in meeting the outsized anticipations that usually accompany such mechanisms. In order to assess how the legal framework of Ghana’s National Reconciliation Commission was implemented, this chapter employs normative and comparative approaches to analyse how the commission carried out and fulfilled its mandate. It also reflects on the commission’s procedure, identifies the core challenges that hindered its work and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the commission’s report. The accentuation of the commission’s structure, hearings and report provide insight into how the features and mandate of the National Reconciliation Commission defined and shaped its outcome.

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