Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland - CAIN

Review of Criminal Justice in Northern IrelandA Consultation Paper5.9 Following the publication of the Government’s public expenditure White Paper on14 July 1998, the Home Secretary has announced that £250m is to be invested overthe next three years in a comprehensive crime reduction strategy for England andWales which will draw on the conclusions of ’Reducing Offending’. It will involve aprogramme of initiatives managed across Government, and rigorously evaluated, totackle crime and its underlying causes.CONCLUSIONS OF THE HOME OFFICEREVIEW OF RESEARCH• The criminal justice system has a central role in providing the sanctions to enforce or reinforcecompliance with the law, on which other crime control initiatives depend.• The redirection of funds to the more effective interventions will have a gradual impact on crime levels;however the long term reductions could be substantial.• Large scale piloting and rigorous evaluation are required to reach a judgment on the operationaleffectiveness of interventions.• None of the initiatives will control crime on its own. An effective crime reduction strategy is one inwhich an integrated package of best practice is developed and delivered consistently over time.5.10 This Review will also consider what research exists in Northern Ireland oneffectiveness, identify any gaps, and will seek to use and build on the Home Officeresearch, a need which was flagged up by the cross-cutting review in NorthernIreland.5.11 In March 1998 theGovernmentpublished a shortpaper, ‘Restorative Justice,’based on a Governmentsubmission tabled at themulti-party Talks (alsoreproduced at Annex D). Thepaper outlined the concept ofrestorative justice and set outwhat action was being takento develop the idea within thecriminal justice system inNorthern Ireland. Restorativejustice focuses on repairingand restoring relationshipsbetween offenders, victimsand the community at large.It is an innovative approach,though well tested in otherjurisdictions. This Reviewprovides an opportunity todevelop these ideas furtherwithin the Northern Irelandcontext.RESTORATIVE JUSTICE• Is a more inclusive approach to dealing with theeffects of crime.• Concentrates on restoring and repairing relationshipsbetween the offender, victim and community.• Depends on the offender admitting the wrong andshowing some signs of wanting to put it right.• Allows for victim-offender mediation to take place,where all parties consent, either directly or throughintermediaries.• Enables victims to say how the crime has affectedthem, and their needs and fears are addressed.• Confronts the offender with the distress caused andgives him/her the opportunity to make amends.• Gives more people a stake in dealing with crime.21