Restorative justice is a way of responding to criminal offending that concentrates on relational, emotional and material repair more than on conviction and punishment. The ness of such an approach should not be underestimated. It is distinctive, a fresh way of conceptualizing criminal justice as a “third way” between the retributive and rehabilitative models that have long dominated penal policy, and a different paradigm for thinking about crime and its impact and for devising solutions. At a time of historically high incarceration rates in NZ, is it time to reimagine what we are trying to achieve through our justice system?

Professor Chris Marshall holds the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice at Victoria University. He has an international reputation for his scholarly and practical work in the restorative justice arena, including a Community Justice Award from the British Home Office (2004), the Michael Klug Award from the Resolution Institute (2015) and an Excellence in Engagement Award from Victoria University (2016). He has also won two tertiary teaching excellence awards and has been used extensively as a conference speaker throughout New Zealand and in a dozen other countries.