General values

  1. Restorative justice works within the boundaries and protections of human rights and the rule of law.
  2. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity or sexuality.
  3. It supports the active participation of people within democratic societies as active and equal citizens.
Values of restorative justice

Key values which are important to restorative justice

✓ Justice 
The focus of restorative justice is on harms which are unjust or wrong. Some restorative practices are designed to prevent injustices by engaging people in just relations, while some undo an injustice through people making themselves accountable, repairing the harm, and acting to alleviate suffering and to reduce the likelihood of further harm. For this to be effective the restorative process should be fair and as far as possible not dominated by any party.

✓ Solidarity
Restorative justice recognises the interdependence and diversity of people and the critical importance of the quality of relationships to individual’s wellbeing and social cohesion. It provides an opportunity to reconnect and to learn how to fulfill one’s obligations to each other’s wellbeing. For this to be effective the restorative process should enable people to assume personal and social responsibility for their words and deeds.

✓ Respect for the dignity of people
Restorative processes work because they include all those affected by a harm or a risk of a harm and because they assume that all human beings are valuable and have the intelligence, knowledge and capabilities to address issues that concern them. For this to be effective the restorative process should generate the safety and respect required for people to feel an ownership of the process and to speak freely.

✓ Truth
Restorative justice enables each person to give a true account of the harm or risk of harm as they experience it. It recognises that each person’s account contains truth but may not be the complete truth. Something closer to the complete truth emerges from questioning and dialogue. For this to be effective all participants need to understand the importance of telling the truth and of being sincere in their intentions and in the commitments that they make as a result of the process.

 

Manual on Restorative Justice Values and Standards for Practice cover

Manual on Restorative Justice Values and Standards for Practice

EFRJ, 2021

Values and Standards are essential for high-quality restorative justice processes. The "Manual on Restorative Justice Values and Standards for Practice" is the outcome of an extensive work led by the EFRJ's Values and Standards Committee: Carmen Borg, Antonio Buonatesta, Tim Chapman, Claudia Christen-Schneider, Lars Otto Justad, Olga Kiseleva, Arti Mohan, Ana Pereira, Valeria Tramonte, Edit Törzs, Kris Vanspauwen, Diāna Ziediņa.

Reviewed by members and experts: Ivo Aertsen (Belgium), Darren R Broomfield (Ireland), Clara Casado and the representatives of the Restorative Justice Programme for Adults in Catalonia (Spain), Honorata Czajkowska (Poland), Paul Delaney (Ireland), Bernd Glaeser (Neustart - Austria), Peter Keeley (Ireland), Ian Marder (Ireland), Kieran O’Dwyer (Ireland), Patrizia Patrizi (Italy), Frauke Petzold (Germany), Marta San-Bento (Portugal), Gert Jan Slump (The Netherlands), Annemieke Wolthuis (The Netherlands), Christoph Willms (TOA Serviceburo – Germany)

Edited by: Tim Chapman, Malini Laxminarayan and Kris Vanspauwen

Instruments for self assessment

Developed by the Values and Standards Committee

Feedback questions for participants of restorative processes

Restorative Justice Quality Review Toolkit

Self Assessment for Organisations implementing restorative justice within the criminal justice system

Restorative Justice Quality Review Toolkit

Self Assessment for Practitioners