Repairing the most serious crimes: understanding the consequences of reparations programmes

When and to what extent can reparations effectively contribute to justice and redress in the aftermath of the most serious crimes—war crimes, crimes against humanity, and grave human rights violations? Despite significant legal and philosophical scholarship, the question of what reparation programmes actually produce remains unanswered. AFTER-REP develops a new field of research by moving beyond ex-ante reasoning and focusing on the consequences of reparations over time. The project uncovers how the empirical, material, and embodied experiences of reparations challenge norms and expectations. The approach is crucial for refining, reimagining, and recasting the foundational principles of reparations.AFTER-REP builds on insights from interdisciplinary development studies to produce a comprehensive mapping and critical analysis of the aftermath of reparation programmes across diverse contexts. It develops the first analytical toolbox for understanding reparations in practice. It offers conceptual frameworks and methodologies for future research, bridging gaps between socio-legal research, law, history, anthropology, and development studies.Methodologically, the project will first compile a comprehensive database of reparations for severe crimes capturing what is known about their consequences. Next, it will conduct in-depth and mixed-methods case studies of three influential reparations cases in three key domains: war crimes (Lubanga/Ntaganda in DR Congo), colonial crimes (Mau Mau in Kenya), and environmental crimes (Lhaka Honhat v. Argentina). Finally, it will synthesise insights to explore how reparations processes influence each other.Ultimately, AFTER-REP redefines what reparations mean and how they can be planned, assessed, and understood. It transforms both academic understanding and practical policy frameworks on reparations, advancing wider and burning debates on justice and redress, and laying the foundation for interdisciplinary reparation studies.