subject: Restorative Justice Model Ireland [print this page] Restorative Justice Model Ireland
The Restorative Justice Model introduced in Ireland is another service; victims can avail of outside the criminal justice system to aid their recovery. In theory it provides the victim with the opportunity to find out why the offence happened to them and to let the offender know about the impact it has had on the victim's life. It is described as a victim and community-oriented approach which requires the perpetrator to face up to the harm he or she has caused.
Ashworth has criticised the scheme questioning it's objective of putting the victim at the centre of the process. Instead he states that victims are used in the process "as tools in the service of offenders and restorative justice practitioners."
Two restorative justice projects are funded by the State in the so-called service of victims, one in Nenagh, Tipperary and one in Tallaght in Dublin.. In 2009 the Justice Minister published the final report from the National Commission on Restorative Justice. The report states that it would make a positive contribution to the lives of all citizens, victims, offenders, their families and the community. (www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Restorative_Justice)
The report interestingly goes into how cost effective this model would prove at just over three thousand per adult compared to almost the 100 thousand euros annual cost of imprisoning an adult. The report also recommends that this model should apply to district and circuit criminal court level. There is a major question over whether this initiative could ever be victim-centred, perhaps it would work to some extent at district court level for very minor offences but offences such as manslaughter and sexual assault are tried at Circuit Criminal Court level and it would be nave of the Department to even conceive that victims of such serious crimes would wish to participate.
"Restorative initiatives are only restorative if they result in both victim and offender feeling that the harm inflicted by an event has been amended through restorative agreements and actions, be this an apology, monetary compensation or an act of restitution"
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