"Calling for Inclusion": Negotiating Boundaries in the Transitional Justice Script

Line Jespersgaard Jakobsen; Thomas Obel Hansen; Line Engbo Gissel

doi:10.1353/hrq.2025.a965926

"Calling for Inclusion": Negotiating Boundaries in the Transitional Justice Script

Line Jespersgaard Jakobsen^*
, Thomas Obel Hansen
, Line Engbo Gissel

^*Corresponding author

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Abstract

As transitional justice (TJ) has gained prominence as a global informal standard, it continues to receive critique for its limitations. This article examines the negotiation of the boundaries of TJ prompted by calls for inclusion, specifically of environmental justice and corporate accountability. Through a novel conceptualization of TJ's possible ‘substantive expansion’, and by building on theory on boundary work and standardization, the study contributes to TJ scholarship by highlighting paradoxes of TJ's standardization: firstly, it both restricts and encourages substantive expansion. Secondly, the adoption of new issues into the script does not guarantee enforcement, leading to a norms-enforcement paradox.

Original language	English
Journal	Human Rights Quarterly
Volume	47
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	426-452
Number of pages	27
ISSN	0275-0392
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2025.a965926
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2025

Keywords

Transitional Justice
Standardisation
Boundary work
Environmental Justice
Corporate Accountability

Access to Document

10.1353/hrq.2025.a965926

Accepted_manuscriptAccepted author manuscript, 305 KBLicence: CC BY

OpenUrl availability

Full text

The Standardisation of Transitional Justice: Consolidation, Innovation and Politics
Gissel, L. E. (Project manager), Jakobsen, L. J. (Project participant), Hansen, T. O. (Project participant) & Fernandes, W. S. (Project participant)
Independent Research Fund Denmark
01/01/2022 → 31/12/2025
Project: Research

File

The Global Blueprint for Transitional Justice and the New Perpetrators and Subjects of Rights - Insights from Colombia
Gissel, L. E. (Participant), Jakobsen, L. J. (Organizer) & Marín López, D. (Speaker)
29 Jan 2025
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Citation Styles

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AB - As transitional justice (TJ) has gained prominence as a global informal standard, it continues to receive critique for its limitations. This article examines the negotiation of the boundaries of TJ prompted by calls for inclusion, specifically of environmental justice and corporate accountability. Through a novel conceptualization of TJ's possible ‘substantive expansion’, and by building on theory on boundary work and standardization, the study contributes to TJ scholarship by highlighting paradoxes of TJ's standardization: firstly, it both restricts and encourages substantive expansion. Secondly, the adoption of new issues into the script does not guarantee enforcement, leading to a norms-enforcement paradox.

KW - Transitional Justice

KW - Standardisation

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KW - Environmental Justice

KW - Corporate Accountability

KW - Transitional Justice

KW - Standardisation

KW - Boundary work

KW - Environmental Justice

KW - Corporate Accountability

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"Calling for Inclusion": Negotiating Boundaries in the Transitional Justice Script

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

OpenUrl availability

Projects

The Standardisation of Transitional Justice: Consolidation, Innovation and Politics

Activities

The Global Blueprint for Transitional Justice and the New Perpetrators and Subjects of Rights - Insights from Colombia

Citation Styles