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Alexander Laban Hinton uses the book ‘Transitional Justice’ to point out the issue of how society comes to grips with the effects of mass violence and genocide. Additionally, Hinton talks about how the international community should attend to this issue. Hinton conveys the meaning of justice in different localities and its application in the event of mass atrocity and genocide. Part 3 of the book is divided into three subsections. One subsection in particular illuminates Hinton’s message on justice after genocide or atrocity in a nation. The sub-topic in question is titled ‘Testimonies, Truths, and Transitions of Justice in Argentina.’ In this subtopic, Hinton talks about the military rule in Argentina that left about 30,000 people dead between the years 1976 and 1983. Essentially, Argentina was under the rule of General Reynaldo Bignone who rose to power through a military coup.
Argentina in 1983 oversaw handing over of power, as Raul Alfonsin became president. His first action in office involved creating a national commission on the murder victims. Hinton uses this scenario to express how Argentina applied justice to tend the murder cases brought about by military rule. The national commission was inclined on pursuing truth and reconciliation on the matter. Reconciliation in this case required that societies, groups, and individual that suffered harm needed to be healed and that perpetrators should be brought to justice. As such, this kind of justice is transformative rather than constructive rather than retributive and punitive. Local forms of justice and testimonies played positive roles in Argentina to achieve various objectives including upholding peace and political stability in the country. In Hinton’s view, such is the role of justice in the event of genocide and atrocity.