THE benefits of restorative practices in Northern Ireland has been celebrated at an event in Belfast, 25 years after a small group of people met to press for change in the north's justice system.
The two-day conference aims to recognise what has been achieved in the area, which has included victims being offered the option of meeting offenders to express how they have been affected by crimes.
Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan and PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne were among those to speak on the first day of the event entitled 'Building a Vision for the Future of Restorative Practices'.
Organised by the Restorative Practices Forum for Northern Ireland, its first conference was held in 1994 in Portballintrae when former President Mary McAleese opened the proceedings.
Since then it has brought a wide range of people and organisations together to promote the principles of restorative justice and extend its focus beyond the criminal justice system to schools and family and children’s services.
This has given Northern Ireland the "international reputation for high quality and innovative restorative approaches".
To mark its 25-year milestone, organisers brought together policy makers, practitioners and researchers from throughout Ireland and visitors from Britain and Europe to discuss what has been achieved and what still can be done.
Among those also to speak yesterday at the Park Avenue Hotel was Cheryl Lamont from the Probation Board for NI, Brendan McGuigan, chief inspector of criminal justice in Northern Ireland, and Paul Doran, director of rehabilitation for the NI Prison Service.
Influential restorative justice thinkers and researchers, John Braithwaite from Australia and Jennifer Llewellyn from Canada, are also speaking at the conference.
A spokesman for the event said: "This conference is providing an opportunity for policy makers, practitioners and researchers to come together to take stock and celebrate what has been achieved, cast a critical eye on what could be improved and, together, generate a vision to maximise the benefits of restorative practices throughout society".
