Restorative Justice Council

Restorative Justice Council
Name	Restorative Justice Council
Formation	2009
Type	Non-profit organisation
Headquarters	London, England
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive
Leader name	Vivienne Porritt

Restorative Justice Council The Restorative Justice Council is a UK-based independent non-profit advocacy and standards body supporting restorative justice practice across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It engages with practitioners, policymakers, victims' organisations and criminal justice agencies to promote restorative processes, develop professional standards, and accredit services. The Council operates at the intersection of victim support, criminal justice reform, community mediation and Welsh and Scottish justice devolved institutions.

History

The organisation was established in 2009 amid debates involving the Ministry of Justice, Victim Support, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, and advocacy organisations such as Howard League for Penal Reform and Inquest. Early development drew on precedents from restorative programmes in New Zealand, Canada, and initiatives linked to the Northern Ireland peace process and the work of commissions like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Founding activity included pilots with the Crown Prosecution Service, partnerships with police forces including the Metropolitan Police Service, and exchanges with academic groups at institutions such as University of Cambridge, University College London, and University of Manchester. Throughout the 2010s the Council responded to policy reviews from the Lammy Review, parliamentary committees including the Justice Select Committee, and cross-government strategies involving devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

Mission and Functions

The Council’s stated mission focuses on increasing access to restorative justice for victims and communities by setting practice standards, supporting practitioner training, and influencing policy at bodies like the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive. Core functions include accrediting organisations that deliver restorative conferencing, advising police services such as the Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police on diversionary programmes, producing guidance for the Crown Prosecution Service and court services, and maintaining practitioner registers used by entities such as the Youth Offending Team network and probation services including Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. The Council also convenes conferences with partners like Barrow Cadbury Trust, Tudor Trust, and research units at King's College London.

Governance and Structure

The Council is governed by a board of trustees drawn from sectors including victim advocacy, mediation, academia and criminal justice commissioning. Past and present trustees have included leaders associated with organisations such as Victim Support, Clinks, and university departments at University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, and Lancaster University. Operational leadership comprises an executive director, programme managers, standards officers, and an advisory panel with representatives from police forces, probation, youth services, and restorative practitioners who have worked with bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and local authorities including London Borough of Hackney. The Council’s governance arrangements align with charity law overseen by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Program Standards and Accreditation

A central role of the Council is developing and maintaining professional standards for restorative practice, drawing on international frameworks from organisations like the International Institute for Restorative Practices and comparative models in Australia and New Zealand. The accreditation framework covers safeguarding procedures, facilitator competence, data protection aligned with Data Protection Act 2018, and outcome measurement suitable for referrals from the Crown Prosecution Service or police-based diversion schemes. Accredited programmes undergo external assessment, peer review, and periodic audits coordinated with partners such as academic evaluators from University College London and independent auditors who have worked with funders like the Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Partnerships and Funding

The Council sustains partnerships with statutory bodies including the Ministry of Justice, police forces, local authorities, and third-sector organisations such as Victim Support and Clinks. It has received project funding and philanthropic grants from trusts and foundations including the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Tudor Trust, and occasionally direct contracts from government commissioning bodies like the Crown Prosecution Service. Collaborative research has been undertaken with universities such as King's College London and University of Manchester, while implementation pilots have linked with youth services and diversion programmes run by organisations associated with the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.

Impact and Evaluation

Independent evaluations and academic studies have examined outcomes for victims and offenders referred to restorative interventions endorsed by the Council, drawing on methodologies used by researchers at London School of Economics and University College London. Reported impacts include reductions in reoffending in some cohort studies, increased victim satisfaction relative to conventional processes in surveys, and enhanced community confidence in pilot areas where police forces like the Metropolitan Police Service implemented referral pathways. The Council has contributed to policy papers reviewed by parliamentary committees including the Justice Select Committee and influenced guidance used by the Crown Prosecution Service and probation services.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have come from academic commentators, legal professionals, and advocacy groups concerned about consistency, evidential standards, and safeguarding in restorative encounters. Commentators associated with organisations such as Inquest and research centres at Oxford University and London School of Economics have questioned the evidentiary role of restorative processes in serious crime cases and the sufficiency of accreditation to manage complex power dynamics. Parliamentary scrutiny by bodies including the Justice Select Committee has raised concerns about resourcing, variability between police forces like Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police, and the need for stronger statutory frameworks overseen by entities such as the Crown Prosecution Service.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom