Restorative Justice In India

This book systematically introduces the practice of restorative justice in India, as a resource for comparative criminal justice research. “Restorative justice” focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims, and with the community at large. It has gained momentum as a justice reform movement in Western countries within the past three decades, and it is estimated that up to one hundred countries worldwide utilize restorative justice practices. Within Western countries, it is seen largely a response or alternative to the perceived deficiencies of the existing criminal justice system. India has a rich tradition of restorative justice, and this work introduces both the traditional basis and contemporary practices of this justice system in India, in a comprehensive and systematic way. The contributions to this work cover three main areas: I. The Tradition of Restorative Justice in India II. The Development of Restorative Justice in India III. Restorative Justice Practices in India The third part – “Practices” covers special topics: including Restorative Justice and the Court, Restorative Justice and Incarceration, Restorative Justice and Juveniles, and Restorative Justice and Woman. The book covers the full range of the issues of restorative justice in India and will be a highly valuable resource book for researchers and upper level graduate students interested in alternative justice models in general, comparative criminology, and criminal justice in India specifically. “A landmark volume in the history of restorative justice and criminology in India. Many outstanding scholars in this collection outline the Indian experience of restorative justice from which the world has much to learn.” John Braithwaite Australian National University

This book systematically introduces the practice of restorative justice in India, as a resource for comparative criminal justice research. “Restorative justice” focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims, and with the community at large. It has gained momentum as a justice reform movement in Western countries within the past three decades, and it is estimated that up to one hundred countries worldwide utilize restorative justice practices. Within Western countries, it is seen largely a response or alternative to the perceived deficiencies of the existing criminal justice system. India has a rich tradition of restorative justice, and this work introduces both the traditional basis and contemporary practices of this justice system in India, in a comprehensive and systematic way. The contributions to this work cover three main areas: I. The Tradition of Restorative Justice in India II. The Development of Restorative Justice in India III. Restorative Justice Practices in India The third part – “Practices” covers special topics: including Restorative Justice and the Court, Restorative Justice and Incarceration, Restorative Justice and Juveniles, and Restorative Justice and Woman. The book covers the full range of the issues of restorative justice in India and will be a highly valuable resource book for researchers and upper level graduate students interested in alternative justice models in general, comparative criminology, and criminal justice in India specifically. “A landmark volume in the history of restorative justice and criminology in India. Many outstanding scholars in this collection outline the Indian experience of restorative justice from which the world has much to learn.” John Braithwaite Australian National University

This edited collection introduces and defines the concept of “comparative restorative justice”, putting it in the context of power relations and inequality. It aims to compare the implementation and theoretical development of restorative justice internationally for research, policy and practice. In Part I, this volume compares practices in relation to the implementing environment - be that cultural, political, or societal. Part II looks at obstacles and enablers in relation to the criminal justice system, and considers whether inquisitorial versus adversarial jurisdictions have impact on how restorative justice is regulated and implemented. Finally, Part III compares the reasons that drive governments, regional bodies, and practitioners to implement restorative justice, and whether these impetuses impact on ultimate delivery. Featuring fifteen original chapters from diverse authors and practitioners, this will serve as a key resource for those working in social justice or those seeking to understand and implement the tenets of restorative justice comparatively.

Providing an in-depth, international perspective of women’s resilience, Gendered Perspectives of Restorative Justice, Violence and Resilience: An International Framework shines crucial visibility on a diverse, gendered lens of intervention, empowerment and understanding of violence and resilience.

Restorative justice is a conceptual and practical framework for repairing any harm that may have been caused either to people, property, or things. It is essential to investigate examples, scenarios, perspectives, strategies, and implications for the use of restorative justice in diverse settings, including K-12 settings, colleges and universities, the workplace, and within public safety organizations and departments. Emphasis must also be placed on diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion and how restorative practices foster the use of inclusive practices and accessibility for all persons. Restorative Justice and Practices in the 21st Century offers broad perspectives across numerous disciplines and professions and provides restorative practitioners with a timely account of what restorative justice and practices may offer to their respective organizations, school, or agency. It provides possible strategies and actions to implement restorative practices as well as how restorative practices can provide different strategies and methods in handling conflict, disputes, and discipline. Covering topics such as equity and inequalities, pedagogical reflection, and indigenous roots, this premier reference source is an essential resource for administrators and educators of both K-12 and higher education, public safety officials, law enforcement, corrections officers, students of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Foundational principles of the contemporary practices of both restorative justice and the concept of therapeutic jurisprudence often import organic and indigenous practices of conflict resolution to resolve insufficiencies and even to explain fundamental ideas. Too often, the indiscriminate use of such practices does not mind the gap between the defining principles, the guiding principles, or the limiting principles that challenge particular features of practical applications. Minding the Gap Between Restorative Justice, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, and Global Indigenous Wisdom gives an authentic voice to practitioners and theorists whose work originates in organic or indigenous conflict resolution. It raises awareness of the diversity of approaches to dispute resolution from the deep perspective of their foundations and understands the challenges that arise in the practical application of restorative justice and therapeutic jurisprudence models when using principles disconnected from their foundation. It further offers ways to bridge the gap so that it is no longer an obstacle but a source of transformation. Covering topics such as justice praxes, indigenous conflict resolution, and global indigenous wisdom, this premier reference source is a dynamic resource for HR managers, lawyers, government officials, mediators, counselors, students and faculty of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Restorative justice is increasingly being applied to settings characterized by large-scale violence and human rights abuses. While many embrace this development as an important step in attempts to transform protracted conflict, there are a number of conceptual challenges in transporting restorative justice from a democratic setting to one which has been affected by mass victimisation or civil war. These include responding to the seriousness and scale of harms that have been caused, the blurred boundaries between victims and offenders, and the difficulties associated with holding someone to account and compelling reparative activities. Despite reams of paper being devoted to defining restorative justice within democratic settings (where the concept first emerged), restorative scholars have been slow to comment on the integration of restorative justice into the transitional justice discourse. Restorative Justice in Transitional Settings brings together a number of leading scholars from around the world to respond to this gap by developing and further articulating restorative justice for transitional settings. These scholars push the boundaries of restorative justice to seek more effective approaches to addressing the causes and consequences of conflict and oppression in these diverse contexts. Each chapter highlights a limitation with current conceptions of restorative justice in the transitional justice literature and then suggests a way in which the limitation might be overcome. This book has strong interdisciplinary value and will be of interest to criminologists, legal scholars, and those engaged with international relations and peace treaties.

Contributed articles.