Archive

Edited by Paul Crosland and Marian Liebmann.
Mediation UK
ISBN  1872576875
£12.95   

In the introduction to this collection of case studies about restorative justice, the editors explain that the book is a response to the flawed notion that only certain offences are suitable for this kind of intervention.

The 40 case studies presented are intended to demonstrate that restorative justice can succeed in a wide range of circumstances and needs only an identifiable "victim" and "offender" (loosely defined) to be of potential value. The point is underlined by organising the cases according to different stages in the criminal justice process, from formal reprimand to post-custody.

These arguments are born out by the case studies, many of which are a tribute to the skill and imagination required in bringing protagonists in a dispute together and forging a mutually satisfactory resolution. This said, the catalogue of success stories and the slightly evangelical tone - "many tears were shed", "the children had been delighted with their gifts" - occasionally make one yearn for a more sceptical assessment of the restorative powers of mediation.

Nevertheless, the book is a useful resource for those thinking about how and when restorative justice interventions can be made.

David Porteous is senior lecturer incriminology, Middlesex University.