Source: (2003) In, Andrew von Hirsch, et. al., eds., Restorative Justice and Criminal Justice: Competing or Reconcilable Paradigms? Oxford and Portland, Orgeon: Hart Publishing. Pp. 177-194.
Beginning from the perspective that restorative justice has at its core the bringing together of victims and offenders, Barbara Hudson reflects upon certain aspects of this interaction between victims and offenders. While restorative justice is not simply part of the victim movement, it clearly seeks to move away from the “zero-sumâ€? approach to victims and offenders in which rights for one group are construed as being at the expense of rights for the other group. Restorative justice is seen as a way of dealing constructively with both victims and offenders. In this context, Hudson raises questions about the extent to which victims’ and offenders’ rights, interests, and perspectives may be shared, separate, or conflicting. Her chief aim in this chapter is to consider whether or not it is reasonable to expect that one process will be able to “do justiceâ€? for both victims and offenders.
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