Transitional justice is the process by which nations address past violence or conflict and reform their society. Nations recovering from civil conflict, war, or state oppression, often look back to identify the root causes of violence, provide justice for victims, and generate ways to prevent future human rights abuses. Often, this is a difficult transition that involves a wide range of stakeholders and takes years to accomplish. Often, countries find it important to incorporate a number of different strategies to achieve a successful transition to peace, justice and national healing.

National and international law plays an important role in shaping transitional justice processes.  Reestablishing respect for the rule of law is a critical component of most transitional processes.  Links to some of the most important national laws and international treaties that shaped the Liberia TRC process can be found at right.

There are many strategies that have been used throughout the world to give voice to victims of human rights violations and to bring about reform. Some of the most common transitional justice mechanisms include: