Definitions

The Scottish Government has defined restorative justice as:

Restorative justice is a process of independent, facilitated contact, which supports constructive dialogue between a victim and a person who has harmed (whether this be an adult, a child, a young person or a representative of a corporate or other body) arising from an offence or alleged offence

(Scottish Government Guidance for the Delivery of Restorative Justice in Scotland, 2017, p8)

This means that restorative justice is a voluntary process, whereby a neutral, trained facilitator enables communication in a safe way in both directions between the person who has been harmed and the person who has harmed. The communication can involve conversation in a face-to-face meeting, or be in writing or by video, or be indirect whereby the facilitator communicates questions and answers between the participants. It is key that participation is voluntary for all participants, and that the person who has harmed has acknowledged and taken responsibility for the basic facts of that offence and that harm has been caused to the person harmed.

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