ABSTRACT
Over the past 25 years, restorative justice has emerged as a challenge to the assumptions of the dominant criminal justice system. In contrast to a justice model which focuses primarily on laws, blame and punishment, restorative justice emphasizes harms, needs and obligations. Instead of lawyers and judges assuming responsibility for the telling of crime stories and deciding the fate of the offending individual – often at the exclusion of the victim – restorative justice emphasizes the active participation of victims, offenders and community members in recounting their experiences and determining justice.
