KRW Law assist Transitional Justice Delegation to Moldova
KRW Law LLP was engaged by The Causeway Institute for Peace-building and Conflict Resolution as part of an initiative to bring transitional justice concepts to the conflict between the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian Region.
I was part of a delegation, together with Kingsley Donaldson, Director of The Causeway Institute and Dr Lisa Faulkner of the University of Ulster, to study the knowledge and capacities of Moldovan institutions and stakeholders in relation to transitional justice, with the goal of assessing the potential for transitional justice in the Republic of Moldova.
The conflict between Moldova and Transnistria is in part similar, and to a large extent wholly dissimilar to our own experiences in the North of Ireland and meetings with Members of the Moldovan Parliament, prosecutors, judges, academics and political parties highlighted both the gap in knowledge of transitional justice concepts, as well as a desire to learn from experiences in the North. Our hosts were warm, open and gracious, and spoke freely of their frustrations with the conflict and their desires to move forward in relations with the Transnistrians. While it was unfortunate that we did not meet with Transnistrian stakeholders, it is hoped that we may be able to do so in future.
My engagement with the Moldovan legal and juridical fraternities gave me a new appreciation of the work of the law in situations of conflict, and particularly the need for approaching questions of accountability and the legacy of the Conflict in the North of Ireland in an open and honest manner. My thanks go to kind and generous people of Moldova, The Causeway Institute and KRW Law for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this project and I look forward to a bright future for Moldova-Transnistria relations.
Legal issues arising out of the meetings with stakeholders in connection with Transitional Justice