Source: (2001) In The spiritual roots of restorative justice, ed. Michael L. Hadley, 217-223. With an introduction by Michael L. Hadley. SUNY series in religious studies, ed. Harold Coward. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York Press.
Huculak, a judge in the Provincial Court of the Province of Saskatchewan (Canada), writes of her judicial experiences with restorative principles and practices in aboriginal contexts. She remarks that, while restorative justice is not new, it is in the last decade moving more into the center of criminal justice theory and practice. Examples of this movement include a United Nations document on restorative justice and court decisions in New Zealand and Canada. In her own judicial experience, which she makes concrete with summaries of actual cases, she has observed and participated in processes founded on aboriginal peacemaking and mediation principles that incorporate spiritual values and experiences, and that focus on healing. In particular she sketches principles, processes, and results of sentencing circles. For Huculak, this and other restorative practices provide hope for more harmonious and fruitful ways to respond to conflict and wrongdoing.
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