17 DFómh 2012, 12:43
The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will tomorrow meet with the representatives of leading organisations advancing community based restorative justice programmes.
17 October 2012
Restorative justice can be defined as an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender. There are two main umbrella groups that support the delivery of restorative practices on the ground, Community Restorative Justice Ireland (CRJI) and Northern Ireland Alternatives (NIA).
Harry Maguire of CRJI and Debbie Watters of NIA will address the Committee tomorrow on the services their organisations provide throughout Northern Ireland, including mediation, conferencing, youth programmes, intensive restorative support for young people and adults.
Committee Chairman Joe McHugh TD says: “Our meeting tomorrow provides the Committee with a valuable opportunity to speak to those at the frontline of providing restorative justice programmes throughout Northern Ireland. The process seeks to engage all key stakeholders where conflict, crime and anti-social behaviour take place, including offenders, victims, family, support networks, community representatives and professionals.
“This human and non-punitive approach of restorative justice to address issues of conflict, crime and anti-social behaviour has considerable support across republican and loyalist communities. Our Committee has prioritised reconciliation issues during this phase of work and the meeting with Mr Maguire and Ms Watters will allow us assess this innovative alternative to conventional justice.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Thursday 18 October in Committee Room 4, LH 2000 at 11:15 am. Committee proceedings can be viewed online via this link.
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Ends
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
F: +3531 618 4551
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Members of the Committee:
Deputies Seán Conlan, Seán Crowe, Clare Daly, Regina Doherty, Peter Fitzpatrick, Frank Feighan, Martin Ferris, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Dominic Hannigan, Michael P. Kitt, Joe McHugh, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Joe O’Reilly, Brendan Smith and Joanna Tuffy.
Senators Jim D’Arcy, Maurice Cummins, Martin McAleese, Mary Moran, Mary White.
Chairman: Joe McHugh, TD Vice-Chairman: Joe O'Reilly, TD