Achieving Satisfying Justice

Source: (1997) Canadian Criminal Justice Bulletin (January).

This document looks briefly at questions scheduled for discussion at a March 1997 symposium for Canadian policy makers, criminal justice professionals and community workers. The symposium was scheduled to launch a national initiative to promote the awareness and use of restorative models within the Canadian criminal justice system. Symposium participants would consider what restorative justice models look like, opportunities for moving the new models more centrally into the Canadian justice system and into the community, necessary changes in legislation or policy, learning from successful applications elsewhere of restorative justice, obstacles to the restorative approach and strategies for addressing the obstacles, and what the Canadian justice system should look like in the future. This document discusses the fundamental principles of restorative justice, contrasts it to retributive justice, and reviews an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada. Table, figure, bibliography