Taking colonialism seriously. A decolonial approach to international law, transitional justice and the restitution of cultural heritage
Abstract
Transitional justice processes have paid scant attention to colonial injustices. Among the latter, crimes against the cultural heritage of colonized nations have gone particularly overlooked. The argument of former colonial powers is that although morally appalling, colonialism was not illegal according to the standards of the time. By challenging this argument, this article critically investigates the relation between international law and colonial injustices to suggest ways to address the crimes of the past and provide legal guidance during transitional justice processes. It argues that to engage with colonial injustices, transitional justice should embrace a decolonized approach to Eurocentric international law and take into consideration alternative legal frameworks including both interpolity law and the legal resistance of the colonized nations.
Received: 22 May 2025; Accepted: 05 December 2025
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