Source: (2000) Criminal Justice Matters 39 (Spring)
Australia and New Zealand are leaders in experimenting with the principles of restorative justice. In the late 1980s, family group conferencing was legislatively established in New Zealand as a major component in the handling of youth justice cases and child protection matters. Youth justice conferences are meetings attended by an admitted offender, a victim, their supporters, and others, convened by a coordinator and with a police officer present, whose purpose is to discuss the crime and how it should be handled. During the 1990s, the conferencing idea has been used in all eight Australian states and territories; however, there is diversity in organisational placement, practices, and theories used. Drawing from legislation, administrative guidelines, and procedure manuals, this paper highlights what is happening in Australia and New Zealand. Online version is slightly updated from the print.
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