Restorative Justice and Criminal Justice: Competing or Reconcilable Paradigms?

Source: (2003) Oxford and Portland, Orgeon: Hart Publishing.

This book consists of a collection of essays by various authors, the essays stemming from presentations at two seminars – one at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, in October 2000, and the other at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, in May 2001. In the essays, the authors explore and compare the paradigms of restorative justice and criminal justice. Over the past decade, restorative justice has emerged as a significant alternative paradigm in criminal justice. Much theoretical and practical work has been done to explore and apply restorative justice ideas. Policies and programs shaped by restorative justice principles have been developed in many jurisdictions, and some countries have enacted statutory reforms to advance restorative aims in sentencing. Yet the precise meaning of restorative justice remains somewhat ambiguous. Therefore, according to the editors, one of the purposes for this volume of essays is to clarify the aims and principles of restorative justice. In doing so, and in view of the fact that some experts oppose restorative justice and criminal justice while others propose that the two paradigms have overlapping goals, another purpose for the collection is to investigate the complex and often difficult relationship between restorative justice and more traditional models of justice. The essays generally fall into one of two categories. Some authors explore restorative justice theory, while others look at the impact of restorative justice at the practical level. Biographical notes on the contributors and an index add to the value of the book.