The International Criminal Court’s reparations system: between interference and transitional justice
Abstract
This paper analyses the reparations system of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the context of transitional justice, assessing its capacity to respond to serious human rights violations in conflicts and authoritarian regimes. It addresses the objectives of transitional justice, such as reparations to victims and reconciliation, highlighting its involvement in retributive and restorative processes. The study examines individual and collective reparations, and how the jurisprudence of the ICC, in cases such as Lubanga, Katanga and Al Mahdi, has addressed these issues. Despite some progress, challenges remain, such as the limitation to reparations against individuals and the difficulties in identifying victims, calling into question the effectiveness of the system.
Received: 11 June 2025; Accepted: 11 May 2026; Published online: Articles in Press 16 July 2026
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