Background
INTRODUCTION
1. The Belfast Agreement reached on Good Friday 1998 provided for a “wide-ranging review of criminal justice”. Although the Review was not invited specifically to address restorative justice or its application in Northern Ireland, the Review Group was aware the issue had been discussed by participants in the multi-party talks. (A paper “Restorative Justice” was included at Annex D of the original consultation paper and was based on a government paper tabled during the talks).
2. The Review Group commissioned a research report to inform them of relevant research relating to restorative justice and advise them on its applicability in Northern Ireland. This report was drawn upon extensively in the final review.
3. A system of youth conferencing was proposed in the report of the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland, which was published in March 2000. The Review group recommended that the system be based in statute, integrated into the formal justice system, and available for all young people who offend. It further recommended that the system should be based on principles which include:
· Meeting victims’ needs, including reparation, restitution and apology;
· Rehabilitation and the prevention of reoffending;
· Proportionality, rather than pure retributive justice;
· Repairing relationships that have been damaged or broken by crime;
· Devolving power to conference participants – giving as much responsibility as possible to those engaged in conferences and involving them in the outcome.
4. The Government published its response to the Review Report in November 2001. The response comprised of an Implementation Plan, detailing the Government’s response to each recommendation and draft legislation covering those recommendations which require statutory provision.
5. The Government largely accepted the Review Group’s recommendations in the area of restorative justice and included provision for youth conferencing in the draft Justice (Northern Ireland) bill. The bill received royal assent in July 2002.
6. The Youth Conference Service was commenced in Belfaston 18 December 2003 and a rural pilot in Fermanagh and Tyrone commenced on 05 April 2004. In June 2005 the Youth Conference Service rolled out inArmagh, Banbridge and Newry, and in December 2006 the Service rolled out in the remaining North East andNorth West area, making it available throughout the whole of Northern Ireland.
7. The system was also extended to include 17 year olds in September 2005.
8. The Youth Conference Service is part of the Youth Justice Agency, an agency of the Northern Ireland Office. All staff are civil servants employed, in the first instance, by the Northern Ireland Office, but upon devolution, by the devolved Northern Ireland administration.
