Anthropological reflections on restoring justice in Norway

Source: (2003) In, Lode Walgrave, ed., Repositioning Restorative Justice. Devon: Willan Publishing. Pp. 296-312.

In this paper, Ida Hydle approaches matters of criminal justice and restorative justice in Norway from the perspective of anthropology. Her approach has grown in part out of her academic training and in part out of fieldwork observing and analyzing an actual criminal case in Norway. From this anthropological perspective – using concepts like ritual, scene, actors, drama, and dramaturgy to describe conflict, court proceedings, and mediation processes – she tries to separate and describe the theories underpinning criminal justice and restorative justice. In these ways, Hydle examines the historical, social, and political framework upon which Norwegian restorative justice is being constructed.