This item was in the NZFVC Good Practice Database.

This publication presents two documents on best practice guidelines within the restorative justice sector. Both documents are intended to be used in conjunction with one another. The first document, "Principles of Best Practice for Restorative Justice Processes in Criminal Cases", prepared by the Ministry of Justice, provides guidelines on how restorative justice processes should be used in the criminal justice system. There are eight basic principles for the victim and offender to follow: voluntary consent, full participation, preparedness, accountability, flexibility and responsiveness, emotional and physical safety, effective process delivery, and appropriateness of using the restorative justice process. The guidelines maintain that the use of restorative justice processes in cases of family violence and sexual violence will not always be appropriate and must be very carefully considered as there may be significant risks to the physical and emotional safety of the victim. The second document in this publication, "The Statement of Restorative Justice Values and Processes", prepared by the Restorative Justice Network, addresses the values necessary for restorative justice to work: participation, respect, honesty, humility, interconnectedness, accountability, empowerment, and hope. The document outlines examples of a conference process that may be considered 'restorative' if the processes are in place. Some of these processes include competent and impartial facilitators, recognition of cultural conventions, needs assessment, validation of victim's experiences, and clarification and confirmation of offender's obligations. See republished 2011 edition (#5084).

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