From Outlaws to Judges: Armed Groups and The Administration of Justice

René Provost’s latest book, Rebel Courts: The Administration of Justice by Armed Insurgents, collects an impressive amount of practice of organized armed groups concerning the administration of justice in armed conflicts, and offers a detailed analysis of the legal issues surrounding the creation and functioning of insurgent courts. Drawing from field work and adopting a legal pluralistic methodology, Provost offers a comprehensive overview of how the rebel administration of justice functions in practice and of how international law regulates its different aspects, including the legality of rebel courts, due process guarantees, as well as international, transnational, and national recognition of the judicial practices of armed groups. In this review essay, I highlight the importance and novelty of Provost’s approach, exploring the book’s connections with other legal and non-legal literature on armed groups, and contextualize some of Provost’s arguments concerning rebel law and rebel courts.