ABSTRACT
The previous chapter has looked at restorative ideals and recorded experiences of participants in family group conferences. This chapter will continue analysing some restorative aspirations, providing empirical evidence. The ideals of reparation and achieving peace and harmony in the aftermath of crime will be discussed. The chapter will also look at the relationship between restorative justice and the criminal justice system and examine some implications of the dependence of restorative justice on the system. It will re-visit concerns of certain critics sceptical of practising restorative justice in close alliance with the criminal justice system which have been outlined in Chapter Two and support them with empirical evidence. The chapter will conclude by questioning some current trends within restorative justice practice, in particular, large-scale and state-sponsored implementation of restorative justice.
