Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice, 1946–2006: A Dataset

The authors present a dataset of 357 armed conflict episodes (1946–2006) to track post-conflict justice (PCJ) processes. PCJ is defined as any process initiated within five years of a conflict's end to address wrongdoings. The dataset identifies six primary tools: trials, truth commissions, reparations, amnesties, purges, and exiles. Preliminary analysis shows that the choice of justice mechanism is influenced by conflict intensity, incompatibility (territorial vs. government control), and the type of termination (victory vs. bargained solution). For instance, trials are more frequent after decisive victories, while amnesties are more common after bargained solutions and in high-intensity civil wars.

• The dataset covers 357 armed conflict episodes from 1946 to 2006, identifying 272 post-conflict justice processes related to 173 different conflict episodes. Approximately 53% of post-conflict societies implement at least one PCJ tool, and 22% implement two or more.
• Trials are the most common PCJ process, with domestic trials being the most frequent. Of the 78 trial processes recorded, 45% involved executions and 12 cases were identified as breaches of justice, such as show trials.
• Amnesties are frequent in post-conflict societies, with 92 cases recorded. Most are granted unconditionally, often as part of peace agreements, and are frequently extended to the losing party as a means to bargain for peace.
• Conflict intensity significantly influences the choice of justice mechanism. Only 17% of civil wars (defined as having at least 1,000 battle deaths) resulted in trial processes, whereas nearly one-third of low-intensity conflicts (fewer than 1,000 battle deaths) did. Civil wars also lead to more amnesties.
• The method of conflict termination affects PCJ selection: trials are more frequent after decisive victories (47% of cases), while amnesties are most common after bargained solutions (45% of cases). Purges and exiles are also more prevalent following military victories.
• Conflicts fought over government control are more likely to result in the implementation of PCJ processes than those fought over territorial disputes.

APA

Binningsbø, H. M., Loyle, C. E., Gates, S., & Elster, J. (n.d.). Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice, 1946–2006: A Dataset. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a68f71c1-5c51-42f6-957e-ad4314e77750/Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice 1946-2006.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Binningsbø, Helga Malmin, Cyanne E. Loyle, Scott Gates, and Jon Elster. Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice, 1946–2006: A Dataset. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a68f71c1-5c51-42f6-957e-ad4314e77750/Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice 1946-2006.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Binningsbø |first1=Helga Malmin |last2=Loyle |first2=Cyanne E. |last3=Gates |first3=Scott |last4=Elster |first4=Jon |title=Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice, 1946–2006: A Dataset |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a68f71c1-5c51-42f6-957e-ad4314e77750/Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice 1946-2006.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{binningsbndarmed, author = {Binningsbø, Helga Malmin and Loyle, Cyanne E. and Gates, Scott and Elster, Jon}, title = {{Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice, 1946–2006: A Dataset}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a68f71c1-5c51-42f6-957e-ad4314e77750/Armed Conflict and Post-Conflict Justice 1946-2006.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }