Judicial Reform and Access to Justice: The Impact of Criminal Justice Reforms on Transitional Justice Efforts in Latin America

Abstract

The criminal justice systems in Latin America have experienced profound transformations since the 1980s. But what has been the impact of criminal justice reforms in terms of access to justice and human rights adjudication? Although there are studies looking into the advances and failures of judicial reforms in general, systematic empirical research that helps us assess how new institutions and legal rights are actually working to improve individual criminal accountability for human rights violations is still scarce. In this paper, through a mixed-method approach, I explore the impact of reforms on access to justice for victims of human rights violations.