Restorative justice law gets debated in Malta

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Via: Restorative justice online blog


Parole and restorative justice

The Restorative Justice Act, now being debated in the House of Representatives, introduces new concepts and challenges into our society, including the introduction of the parole system. In order to effectively implement the restorative justice measures, the input of everybody in society is crucial.

The discussion on the introduction of restorative justice measures in our system was first made following the publication of a White Paper by the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs in February 2009.

The basic principles of restorative justice are that when a crime is committed there are primarily three parties that are directly affected: the victim, the offender and society at large. The commission of a crime affects society at large – through fear, uncertainty and apprehension. Such apprehension may be appeased when the offender is caught and convicted. Yet, how many stop and think that, unless one is imprisoned for life, the offender will one day return to society?

The new Restorative Justice Act proposes the introduction of structures and measures that are necessary to address the victim, the offender and the community at large. The new structures include the setting up of a Victim-Offender Mediation Committee, an Offender Assessment Board, a Parole Board and a Remission Board.

The introduction of parole understandably causes a lot of apprehension among the public. Parole is implemented in a variety of ways in different judiciary systems. The proposed law addresses these three stakeholders.

The major provisions in the new law are:MORE