The NLJ Column

Until recently, restorative justice has been on the fringes of penal reform. However, some eminent support has recently been given for the principle. Most notably, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke at a recent lecture organised by the Prison Reform Trust, supporting the introduction of restorative justice into the mainstream of sentencing policy.

The main thrust of the restorative justice approach is that victim can confront offender. This is considered primarily to benefit the victims of crime by enabling them to meet, and to some extent demystify, the perpetrators of crime. It has also been considered to be of assistance to the offender, who is also confronted with the consequence of their actions.

One of the main criticisms of the restorative justice regime has been that the victim has had little control or influence over its process. Furthermore, and significantly, it has been perceived to be a soft option.
These issues have recently been addressed, particularly as a result of the government’s “victim led” approach to criminal