NIACRO provides administrative support to the forum, working with the Chair and members to arrange meetings, circulate information, etc.
About the Restorative Practices Forum (NI)
1. Our aim
The aim of the RPF (NI) is to promote restorative justice philosophy and restorative practices across all
aspects of life and society.Restorative Justice works to resolve conflict and repair harm. It encourages
those who have caused harm to acknowledge the impact of what they have done and gives them an
opportunity to make reparation. It offers those who have suffered harm the opportunity to have
their harm or loss acknowledged and amends made.
2. Our history
The Forum began life as the Restorative Justice Working Group in 1994 formed following a Restorative Justice Conference that year.
group aimed to establish restorative justice as an integral part of the criminal justice system and not just as an adjunct to it.
In the early 2000’s the group was re-established as the Restorative Practices Forum (NI), reflecting a change in emphasis and
recognising that the day to day work is now carried out by a wide range of organisations, individuals and sectors.
In 2012 the Events Planning Sub-Group held our first all-island conference, and we have continued to host such events, most recently in 2019 - click here for details.
You can see our archive of information from previous conferences here
Until 2020 , the Restorative Practices Forum was supported and chaired by Quaker Services. It is now supported by NIACRO
3.Our membership
The range of practitioners of restorative justice is well represented across our membership. Our members come from the voluntary, community and statutory sectors, criminal justice, victim organisations, social work, education , academia, training and the judiciary & magistracy. We also have members who are independent practioners.
You can see a full list of organizational and individual members here.
Interested in joining the forum? Please email either or both of our joint Chairs, Christine Hunter christinehunter11@gmail.com/ Shane Whelehan shane.whelehan@quakerservice.com
4.What we do
We provide an independent and neutral space in which restorative justice thinking, practice and developments can be discussed, analysed and explored.
We promote learning through seminars, conferences, research and dissemination of information.
Our Terms of Reference for doing this can be seen here.
5.Government strategies and frameworks
Forum responses
We respond to consultations issued by statutory bodies which could impact on restorative justice.
Our most recent responses can be accessed via the links below:
RESPONSE TO THE CONSULTATION ON A REGIONAL CARE AND JUSTICE CENTRE - January 2021
RESPONSE TO THE DOJ CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS TO REFORM REHABILITATION PERIODS IN NI - March 2021
Launched strategies and frameworks
ADULT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE STRATEGY FOR NI 2022-2027
6.Publications
Please click on each of the publication covers below to read the contents.
