Justice in times of armed conflict or in post- conflict situations does not f...

Justice in times of armed conflict or in post- conflict situations does not fundamentally differ from justice in times of peace. The objective of justice is always to come to a decision with regard to a wrong committed by one individual to the detriment of another: to ascertain its severity, to impose punishment and, where necessary, to order reparations. However, in specific cases of conflict or post-conflict situations, justice often operates, but imperfectly. The victims must overcome additional and very different obstacles from those in peacetime. For women, those obstacles can be truly crippling. For them, justice is often beyond reach, whether for legal, security or social reasons — without taking into account the fact that in post-conflict situations the judiciary itself is often ill- prepared to face the specific situations of women who have suffered the violence of war.