1. Bridging Modernity and Tradition: Rule of Law and Search for Justice in Afghanistan
- Author:
- J Alexander Thier and Leigh Toomey
- Publication Date:
- 10-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- A legitimate, functioning and coherent justice system is urgently needed to establish peace and stability in post-Taliban Afghanistan. After three decades of war, continued insecurity, endemic corruption, and lack of resources hobble the formal justice system. Informal, community-based dispute resolution mechanisms—which are more readily accessible and understood than formal courts by most Afghans, particularly outside urban areas—are widely used to resolve both civil and criminal matters. These mechanisms are critical to maintaining stability within communities, and at present handle over 80 percent of disputes in Afghanistan. At the same time, informal or traditional practices may fall short of due process and human rights standards.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and Asia