The world is currently afflicted by unstable and undemocratic political systems which are frequently a product of failed political transitions. At the point of transition, states are often presented with the unique opportunity to address past human rights violations and restore divided societies, through the implementation of thorough and effective transitional justice processes; truth commissions remain one of the most influential tools in orchestrating these practices. However, as recent history demonstrates, when implemented incorrectly, the transitional justice processes facilitated by truth commission enquiries can not only be ineffective but also damaging. To account for these inadequacies, this thesis seeks to address three key issues: a common misunderstanding of the core concepts promoted by truth commission investigations, the need to notate and comprehend the positive and negative outcomes of past commission enquiries and the current lack of 'case-specific' guidance for future truth commission architects. With reference to these studies, the thesis will then seek to develop a three-pronged truth commission guidance framework to account for the three modes of political change through which transitional states can pass and recommend the establishment of a 'Truth Commission Advisory Body' to oversee and assist the process. These frameworks will then be applied to the case study of Zimbabwe, which is considered to be a candidate for political transition in the near future. The current proliferation of truth commission investigations reflects the common belief that they are the best response when confronting a transitional state's troubled past; this belief can only be vindicated by a substantial increase in the positive and lasting effects of future commission endeavours. Ultimately, this will only be achieved by an increased understanding of these complex processes and the provision of more extensive guidance to those seeking to foster them; this thesis represents a step closer to this eventuality.

MA (Political Science) / Department of Development Studies