When Should Law Forgive?

A towering and beloved figure in legal scholarship, Martha Minow explores the complicated intersection between law, justice, and forgiveness. Should law encourage individuals to forgive? And when should the courts, public officials, and specific laws forgive? With empathy and acumen, Minow acknowledges that there are certainly grounds for both individuals and societies to withhold forgiveness, but argues that there are also many places where letting go of justified grievances can make law more just, not less. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.