The article tracks the symbolic role that law plays in the varying phases of the
transition to democracy in Argentina. It offers a descriptive and conceptual account
of how the struggle for legal recall was structured against the force of containment
wielded by the state. Focusing on the social demand that comes before Judge
Cavallo’s 2001 ruling, which overturned the amnesty laws protecting the
military from being prosecuted for past rights violations, the article concerns
itself with how the resolve and desire for law are sustained. It thus reflects on
how the unfulfilled promises for justice helped to shape a legacy, a pedagogical
resource, which was utilized to contest the conciliatory politics and settlements
brokered by the state.
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