Making Justice

With Good Reason

What makes a court a court? Most people might answer something like this: there’s a judge with legal training, who makes a judgment, and if you don’t follow their judgment, you get punished. David Law says that, actually, none of that is required for a court. That’s how the American courts work, but all over the world there are courts that operate very differently. And: Five years after getting federal recognition, the Upper Mattaponi tribe in Virginia has started operating their own courts. Chief Frank Adams and Savannah Baber explore what tribal justice looks like in Virginia. Plus: Building a court system is difficult under any circumstances. There’s a lot to decide. In communities that have suffered intense violent conflicts–like Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, or Kosovo after the war of the 1990s–creating a court system is both essential and particularly fraught. Christie Warren has worked all over the world as a facilitator helping post-conflict zones design legal and justice systems.