The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace

Abstract

Abstract The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz, SJP) is the judicial component of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition created by the Peace Agreement signed between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People’s Army in November 2016. The SJP started functioning in March 2018 and has already selected a few priority cases, some of which include sexual and gender-based crimes. It is to be expected that more cases involving these crimes will be initiated in the future. This article aims to offer some considerations for the SJP as it begins its investigation and adjudication of cases involving sexual and gender-based crimes. These considerations relate to ensuring that the full scope of sexual and gender-based violence is captured, including the experiences of male victims and the gender components of non-sexual crimes; and that the contextualization of sexual violence is prioritized over unnecessary considerations about the personal motives of the perpetrators.