Family Group Conferences in the Context of Juvenile Justice Transformation in South Africa

Source: (1998) Home page of Nigel Branken. 24 October 2002.

In the mid 1990s, the newly democratic government of South Africa embarked on transformation of its juvenile justice system. Nigel Branken examines the nature of that transformation, with particular emphasis on the development and use of family group conferences (FGCs). His article includes a sketch of the history of juvenile justice in South Africa, a summary of the restorative justice paradigm of understanding and responding to crime, and a description of family group conferences as a restorative justice practice. Two case studies illustrate the use of family group conferences in South Africa.