The Belfast Guidelines on Amnesty and Accountability have been developed by an expert group of independent, interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners from different world regions and areas with recent experience of dealing with gross human rights violations. The Guidelines aim to assist those seeking to make or evaluate decisions on amnesties and accountability in the midst or wake of conflict or repression. The Guidelines are divided into four parts: general principles, scope of the amnesty, amnesty conditions, and amnesty adoption, implementation and review. This Explanatory Guidance which accompanies the Guidelines (authored by Mallinder) sets out the law, standards and practice that support each Guideline, as well as the discussion that informed the drafting.