ABSTRACT
It is interesting to note that in the historical background and development of restorative justice the terms restitution, reparation, compensation, atonement, redress, community service, mediation and indemnification have been used interchangeably in the literature. The term restorative justice is a fairly new one and restorative justice means different things, depending on the country, state and community where such programmes exist. Restorative justice is, so to speak, an umbrella term for all sorts of ways to undo the wrong caused by crimes or offences. According to Walgrave (1998), restorative justice is a distinct and unique response to
crime and has to be distinguished clearly from retributive and rehabilitative responses to crime. Restorative justice focuses on losses, repairs the damage inflicted, seeks satisfied parties and views the victim as the central person of the whole process.
