A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Deliberating Justice in Citizen Jury Processes - Lessons for Just Transitions Governance




AuthorsHuttunen, Suvi; Kulha, Katariina; Kyllönen, Simo; Mela, Hanna; Ojanen, Maria; Soini, Katriina; Sorvali, Jaana; Suni, Ninni; Saarikoski, Heli

PublisherWILEY PERIODICALS, INC

Publishing placeSAN FRANCISCO

Publication year2025

JournalEnvironmental Policy and Governance

Journal name in sourceENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

Journal acronymENVIRON POLICY GOV

Number of pages14

ISSN1756-932X

eISSN1756-9338

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1002/eet.70010

Web address https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.70010

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499206937


Abstract

Citizen juries are suggested as an effective tool for promoting just transition to low-carbon societies. However, citizen juries are influenced by participation rules, accepted discourses, and participants' perceptions about the need for climate policies. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand how citizens comprehend and deliberate justice in sustainability transition contexts. We analyzed two citizen juries conducted in Finland. One jury focused on the low-carbon transition in the transport sector, and the other on forest governance. We identified citizens' justice claims regarding the key aspects of justice (distributive, procedural, recognition, and restorative justice), supplemented by global, intergenerational, and ecological justice considerations. We analyzed how these claims developed during the deliberation. The transport jury emphasized distributive and recognition justice and increased awareness of diverse capacities and vulnerabilities related to the mobility transition. This jury also reinforced the participants' expectations regarding the legitimacy of certain nonsustainable lifestyles, such as private motoring. The forest jury emphasized procedural justice and forests as an intergenerational common good, but they also recognized forest owners' rights and legitimate claims for forest income. The juries demonstrate that citizen deliberation helps address justice concerns by revealing jurors' expectations regarding lifestyles and livelihood sources and proposing practical solutions. Our results suggest that citizen juries can enhance the formation of more informed and consistent, and thus legitimate, expectations.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.




Funding information in the publication
This work was supported by Research Council of Finland (341398) and Strategic Research Council established within the Research Council of Finland (358410).


Last updated on 2025-12-08 at 14:29