... common practice witnessed in ancient cultures and religions, e.g. the Maori people of New Zealand (Zehr, 2001). The majority of the 20th century involved debates over how the criminal justice should be transacted. There has been emphasis on retribution versus rehabilitation and more recently restoration (Braithwaite, 2000). With the growing problem of perceived increased crime and re-offending (FIND REFERENCE) its no surprise that there is an increased need to try and stop crime. Maybe restorative justice is the answer. The best and most influential definition of restorative justice is as follows, 'restorative justice is a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implication for the future', (Marshall, 1998). Be that as it may Braithwaite (1999) claims that restorative justice is not easily defined and that it is usually conceived in ...

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