Restorative justice schemes backed

The government should fund four loyalist restorative justice schemes, the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice has said.

Kit Chivers, the Criminal Justice inspector has said there was no evidence the schemes were a front for paramilitary activity.

He added: “We also found no evidence of Alternatives providing an alternative policing or judicial system.”

The inspection examined the parent organisation Northern Ireland Alternatives and four schemes: East Belfast, Greater Shankill and North Belfast Alternatives and North Down Impact.

The report has made six recommendations including accrediting the tested schemes but said the issue of criminal liability needed to be resolved.

“In particular there needs to be clarity about the limits beyond which delinquent or anti-social behaviour needs to be treated as criminal and reported to the police.

“The schemes are clear that serious offences must be notified, but there has been a grey area where some of the judgements made have not been entirely comfortable,” it stated.

“This will need to be addressed in the discussions which are now planned about the implementation of the protocol.”

Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson MP has also welcomed the news. He said: “This is an important report and having considered the outcome of inspections undertaken by CJINI. I would like to thank Kit Chivers for producing such a thorough and comprehensive report.

“Restorative Justice has a valuable role to play in addressing low-level criminal offences and offenders and the needs of victims.

“The regulation of restorative justice schemes in Northern Ireland was a key recommendation of the Criminal Justice Review and following today’s report we are now one step further to having effective community based restorative justice schemes operating in our local communities.”

The 21-page document found volunteers and staff were professional and dedicated in their work with young people. It also revealed there needed to be more human rights training for practitioners and more consistent record keeping.

Restorative justice aims at bringing victim and offender together to settle minor disputes.

(JM/SP)