Restorative Justice

What is Restorative Justice?

The Canadian Justice system recognizes that crime is as much a violation of people and relationships as it is an offense against the community. Restorative Justice is a way of viewing justice that puts the emphasis on healing relationships broken by conflict and crime through the reconciliation of victims, offenders, and their communities. The program focuses on holding the offender accountable, repairing harm caused by the offence, reintegrating the offender back into the community, and bringing a sense of healing to the community and victim.

Restorative Justice in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has three recognized Restorative Justice Programs. The Provincial Program, which deals with youth aged 12 to 17, is administered by eight Community Justice Agencies across the Province. The second is the Mi'kmaq Youth Options Program which deals exclusively with Native youth in the province while the third is administered by the RCMP.

The RCMP Restorative Justice model being championed by the RCMP across Canada is the RCMP Community Justice Forums which deal with both youth and adults at the pre-charge level. Once a decision is made to follow this route, a facilitator brings together the victim and the offender with their supporters to begin the process of healing. The parties cooperate to achieve a remedy appropriate to the damage (whether emotional or property). The RCMP's Provincial Coordinator monitors this program while working closely with more than 300 RCMP members. The Coordinator also collaborates with the Provincial Restorative Justice Coordinator, enabling RCMP members to work in tandem with Community Justice Agencies in their communities.

For more information on the RCMP's Community Justice Forums, please visit our National site .