“Connecting philosophy and practice.”

Source: (2000) In Restorative justice: Philosophy to practice, ed. Heather Strang and John Braithwaite, 203-220. Burlington, Vermont, U.S.: Ashgate Publishing Company.

Building on the principle that philosophy and practice must inform each other for both to attain their best and truest expressions, Braithwaite and Strang observe that restorative practices preceded the interpretation of them as restorative justice, and that philosophy lags behind practice in restorative justice. Hence, the authors perceive a significant need for restorative practice to be more informed by philosophy. What should philosophy address to catch up and to advance restorative practice? Braithwaite and Strang indicate several matters: clarity about restorative justice values; delineation of principles to shape and guide restorative processes; the nature and role and of punishment; the status of retributive, consequentialist, and restorative theories in relation to each other and to actual policies and practices; the question of equal justice; the timing of justice; and issues of accountability, privacy, and effectiveness.