ABSTRACT
Restorative justice is probably one of the most talked about topics in contemporary criminology. Indeed, governments are increasingly incorporating 'restorative justice language' into their laws and political discourses and, while not without problems; restorative justice is drawing support from both liberal and conservative policymakers. Also, criminal justice systems increasingly proclaim themselves to be embracing the restorative justice philosophy through a variety of practices adopted at different stages of the criminal process, and performed by people who are allegedly trained to think and act more restoratively. The campaign for restorative justice has not only expanded in terms of focus, but also geographically. The application of restorative justice to powerbased offences such as sexual assaults and domestic violence has drawn perhaps the strongest reactions. Restorative justice is thought to be unable to denounce or punish serious crimes; it may exist mainly as an add-on to the existing system and one that may produce a real risk of net-widening.
