Sinn Féin TDs Pa Daly, Maurice Quinlivan and Patricia Ryan will this week introduce the Criminal Justice (Promotion of Restorative Justice) Amendment Bill 2023.

The legislation aims to encourage more uniform usage of restorative justice and amends the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017.

Teachta Daly, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, said:

“Restorative justice describes different processes which enable a victim and an offender or alleged offender to address and repair the harm done by the offence.

“This may take place through face-to-face conversation, letters or other forms of communication between those involved or affected, taking into account the needs of the parties and the circumstances of the offence.

“Currently, the Department does provide some funding for Restorative Justice initiatives. However, research funded by the Department of Justice suggests that service provision remains patchy.

“Restorative justice holds so much more potential and this Bill would see more widespread adoption. According to the European Forum for Restorative Justice ‘studies consistently state that RJ practices achieve at least 85% satisfaction among victims’.

“It is the victims of crime we need to put first and foremost in our justice system, and with overcrowded prisons and lengthy court delays resulting from government inaction, we need to explore alternative approaches.”

“I look forward to engaging with the Department of Justice regarding the Bill and I am open to its implementation, in whole or in part. I would also like to give a massive thanks to Dr. Ian Marder of Maynooth University. His advice and guidance was invaluable in the drafting of the Bill.”