The main objective of this volume is to provide a better understanding of the political, judicial and social forces driving the establishment and operation of transitional justice (TJ) mechanisms after violent conflict. Addressing past human rights violations through TJ mechanisms such as trials, truth commissions and reparations is a persistent demand in many countries emerging from violent conflict. However, these demands are not always met: TJ processes are often aborted, deferred due to compromise, hijacked, or otherwise obstructed. In order to understand why TJ demands are dealt with in such different ways, we need to look at the decision-making processes associated with such demands.