Post Requested:

Restorative justice v punishment: a middle way

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

In a recent lecture to the Howard League Scotland, Professor Antony Duff, of the University of Stirling, argued that the advocates of a purely restorative justice system and those who aim to simply impose punishment, are both right. It is therefore wrong to think that these approaches to justice are mutually exclusive.

He said that we should see criminal punishment as a restorative process, distinguishing the nature of the wrong doing in a criminal act from that of harm caused by the behaviour - for which civil mediation is appropriate. Punishment and restoration are not incompatible, rather “we should seek repair, reconciliation, and restoration ? and deserved punishment “. The aim of our response to crime should be to achieve restoration through punishment.

Lecture Hand Out
Full text of similar presentation by Professor Duff.

The Howard League Scotland’s Programme of Spring 2004 Lectures in Edinburgh and Glasgow is now available.

Posted by MM on Wed 17th Dec 2003 at 10:56 pm
Reparation and Restorative Justice Sentencing Sentencing reform • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend