ABSTRACT

In 1982, the Federal Government modified Canada's Constitution in order to better reflect the human rights goals and standards set by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). There are now four key mechanisms to protect human rights: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Canadian Human Rights Act, Human Rights Commissions and provincial human rights laws and legislation. To engage in praxis is to critically engage in the theory and practice of restorative justice. Many have argued that practice has led theory in the development of a restorative justice system. Family group conferencing (FGC) is probably the most internationally recognized model of restorative justice. The practice of restorative justice is theoretically eclectic, cutting across disciplinary silos, with a range of normative and explanatory theories making a case for restorative justice. Conceived in 1997, and implemented in 1999, the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Program (NSRJ) operates at all stages of the justice system.