Introduction

This book seeks to shed light on the project of post-conflict state­ building in general, and on the role that is played in this endeavour by international law in particular. It draws together original essays by scholars and practitioners, who explore from a range of perspectives the role that international law might have to play in rehabilitating societies after conflict. While there is a growing body of literature on many dimensions of post-conflict peace-building, the role of international law has tended to attract less attention. An exception to this is the field of transitional justice, which concerns the mechanisms of responsibility and accountability for major human-rights violations committed during periods of conflict. One of the primary aims of this book is to reflect on the role inter­national law plays in societies that have had their fabric - social, political, legal, cultural and religious institutions and infrastructure, as well as individual and collective psyches - torn apart by conflict. The contribu­tions to this volume identify a range of roles: international law can offer the promise of tempering, regulating, legitimating and undermining external interventions in post-conflict societies.