Evolution of the conception of justice within the field of transitional justice in post-dictatorial Chilean society

Abstract

We have recently witnessed two political milestones in Chile: the social uprising of 18 October 2019 and, currently, the drafting of a new political constitution. In this context and based on data from interdisciplinary research on political and post-dictatorial culture, this article aims to present the conceptions of justice held by stakeholders in transitional justice efforts in Chile. The results reveal that the conception of justice has gone from being centred on retributive and, residually, restorative justice to focusing on social or distributive justice. We conclude that a new constitution that includes this expanded notion of justice – which has been observed in the last decade and crystallized in the demands manifested in the social uprising – would represent the completion of a lengthy political transition.