Handbook on Restorative Justice Programmes

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expres- sion of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. [...] As part of the Criminal Justice Handbook Series, a series of practical tools developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support countries in the implemen- tation of the rule of law and criminal justice reform, this handbook aims to provide an overview of the concept, values and principles of restorative justice as well as practical guidance on restorative justice programm [...] According to the Basic Principles, a restorative outcome is an “agreement reached as a result of a restorative process aimed at meeting the individual and collective needs and responsibilities of the parties and achieving the reintegration of the victim and the offender”.5 It is commonly assumed that a restorative outcome ought to include a form of redress, compensation or repara- tion, but that i [...] They need to be informed of that option.13 • The rate of participation of crime victims and offenders in restorative justice processes varies by type of offence, the nature of the referral mechanisms, the various personal attributes of offenders and victims and the nature of the relationships between the victims and the offenders.14 • There can be high levels of support among crime victims and in [...] The participatory nature of restorative justice, along with its frequent similarities to customary law, suggests that it may provide a vehicle to support the use of indigenous justice systems and hence facilitate indigenous self-determination.a In its study on access to justice in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peo