The Restorative Justice Movement in Ireland: Building Bridges to Social Justice through Civil Society

Abstract

This article examines the emergence and influence of the restorative justice movement as a bridge between communities, civil society and the state in Ireland. It focuses on the Republic of Ireland, but also examines restorative conferencing in Northern Ireland. Separate sections reflect the emergence of a movement dedicated to the promotion of restorative justice as a vehicle for a holistic form of community-based justice in Ireland. The article covers the history, scope and philosophical-political background of the restorative justice movement, providing specific examples of the interchange between this restorative justice movement and civil society in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States. The wider potential of the restorative justice movement is highlighted.

This potential is demonstrated in the restorative movement's challenge to understandings of failed punitive approaches and through its socially redemptive alternative, which emphasises collective responsibility for crime amongst all of the community. The article examines the international background to restorative justice, and its theoretical understandings, with a focus on key theorists such as Strang and Braithwaite amongst others. It examines salient issues that underpin social justice and social control in Ireland, including the potential impacts of restorative justice policy and practice for the wider community and the state.