ABSTRACT
Since I first started writing about restorative justice I have struggled with the concept of punishment and whether, or how, it reconciles with restorative practices. In the eyes of any layperson, punishment is something unpleasant; it is seen as a necessary consequence resulting from wrongdoing. This understanding, however, opens a Pandora’s Box of questions. Who is to say that the punished action is wrong and who is to decide the type and level of punishment? And what is punishment, given that we all punish whether in our capacity as parents, partners, friends, justice agents or even victims?
