Assess and compare the effectiveness and democratic legitimacy of Rwanda’s Gacaca courts and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission by evaluating their stated aims, procedures, outcomes (justice, reconciliation, accountability, and reparations), and longer-term social and political impacts. Drawing on empirical evidence and normative criteria (rule of law, participation, fairness, transparency), construct a reasoned, evidence-based argument that weighs trade-offs, contextual constraints, and lessons for transitional justice policy and theory.