Naomi Long

The three-month review will be taken forward by an independent three-person panel consisting of Professor Tim Chapman, Dr Neil Jarman and Judith Gillespie, finishing at the end of May 2022.

Mrs Long said: “In recent years, we have seen significant growth in the use of restorative practices in Northern Ireland – both within the criminal justice system and beyond it. This growth has been driven by the desire to better meet the needs of victims of crime and to provide redress for the harm caused to them, as well as to find an effective alternative to punitive responses and establish positive ways of dealing with children, young people and adults when incidents occur.

“The current protocol governing the work of community based restorative justice organisations in Northern Ireland is over 14 years old and the time is right to reflect on the delivery of restorative practice over this period, to build on the positive work that has been undertaken by community based organisations and put in place a revised protocol to help support the further growth of restorative practises over the next decade.”

She added: “I am extremely grateful to former Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie, Dr Neil Jarman, and Professor Tim Chapman for agreeing to take this review forward. Between them they will bring a wealth of much needed knowledge and expertise to this very important piece of work.”

The review will also seek input from key stakeholder groups including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Service, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice, the Youth Justice Agency, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, The Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Department for Communities, Victim Support Northern Ireland, The Executive Office, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the two current accredited restorative justice organisations, Northern Ireland Alternatives and Community Restorative Justice Ireland.