The ACT Government is increasing access to restorative justice with additional funding from the Confiscated Assets Trust (CAT) and the 2024-25 ACT Budget.
This funding will allow for extra resources to reduce waiting times for restorative justice, and continued progress to enhance the Restorative Justice Scheme and increase accessibility for victim-survivors of sexual violence.
Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said improved access to restorative justice would provide better outcomes for more victim-survivors in the ACT justice system.
“Restorative justice provides an important mechanism for persons harmed by domestic, family and sexual violence to seek accountability and redress,” said the Attorney-General.
“A recent evaluation by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that restorative justice met a range of needs of victim-survivors that were difficult to achieve in other parts of the criminal justice system, including feelings of safety, being heard and regaining a sense of control. As a result, participants reported high rates of satisfaction with their experience in restorative justice.
“Funding from the Confiscated Assets Trust will provide for an extra restorative justice convenor in addition to the new convenor and administrative support funded in the 2024-25 Budget. This boost to the ACT’s Restorative Justice Scheme will ensure that the positive outcomes we know can be achieved in restorative justice are more accessible to members of the community harmed by crime.”
In addition to the funding committed to increase the capacity of the scheme, the ACT Government has also appointed RMIT University’s Centre for Innovative Justice to conduct the first comprehensive review of the ACT’s Restorative Justice Scheme since its introduction 20 years ago. The Centre for Innovative Justice will undertake two main projects:
- A review of the ACT’s Restorative Justice Scheme and Crimes (Restorative Justice) Act 2004; and
- Research into expanded restorative justice and alternative civil justice options for victim survivors of sexual violence.
The review will look at strengths of the current scheme, barriers to access and participation, and ways to make practical and evidence-based improvements to the Scheme.
“The ACT’s Restorative Justice Scheme was and remains a nation-leading model of restorative justice, however, this review will ensure it remains responsive to the evolving needs of our community and takes into account contemporary best-practice in the delivery of restorative justice,” said the Attorney-General.
The research to explore models of alternative civil and expanded restorative justice options for victim-survivors of sexual violence is in response to recommendation 13 of the . This recommendation acknowledged victim-survivors needed access to a range of options to meet their accountability needs in the aftermath of sexual violence. It noted protections built into the existing Restorative Justice Scheme had the unintended effect of creating barriers to access for some victim-survivors.
“The Centre for Innovative Justice will look at ways the ACT can continue to learn and apply a best-practice approach to alternative civil and restorative justice, to hold perpetrators of sexual violence to account and advance the interests of victim-survivors,” said the Attorney-General.
The scheme review and research will be finalised later this year.
As stated by Centre for Innovative Justice Associate Director Elena Campbell:
“We’re excited to be working with the ACT Government and the community on these projects. We’re committed to looking at ways to bring about positive change for victims of crime. The evidence will be put to good use to improve the implementation and accessibility of restorative justice in the ACT and explore alternative civil justice options for victim-survivors of sexual violence.”
