Restorative Justice Stakeholder Group

Overview

Restorative Justice (RJ) 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.

As set out in ‘Delivery of Restorative Justice in Scotland: Guidance’, RJ in Scotland will always be voluntary for those who wish to take part in it, whether they are the individual or community harmed or someone who has caused harm.

We published the Restorative Justice Action Plan 2019, informed by how restorative justice services have developed elsewhere (see Uses of Restorative Justice: evidence review). It sets out how services will be developed to achieve our commitment to having restorative justice services widely available across Scotland by 2023, with the interests of victims at their heart. We are working in partnership with Community Justice Scotland (CJS) and the Children's and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ) on its delivery. 

We also have established a Restorative Justice Stakeholder Group, recognising that successful delivery of the Action Plan will require input from, and collaboration with, a wide range of organisations and people.

In January 2021 we plan to lay statutory instruments that will provide a statutory basis for the guidance, and who must have regard to it. We are currently consulting stakeholders on The Restorative Justice (Prescribed Persons) (Scotland) Order – the Order that sets out who must have regard to the Guidance.

Members

Organisations represented on the Stakeholder Group are:

• Community Justice Scotland
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services
• COSLA
• Police Scotland
• Restorative Justice Forum
• SACRO
• SCOREscotland
• Scottish Government
• Scottish Prison Service
• Scottish Women's Aid
• Turning Point
• Victim Support Scotland
• Children's and Young People's Centre for Justice
• National Youth Justice Advisory Group
• Social Work Scotland
• Scottish Children's Report Administration
• Children's Hearings Scotland
• Judiciary (observer)
   

Publications

Restorative Justice Stakeholder Group: terms of reference