Most people who contact me have never heard of restorative justice conferencing until a lawyer mentioned it. A few have done some reading online and come away more confused than when they started. Either way, the first question is almost always the same: what is it?
Here's my honest answer.
It's a conversation - but a structured one
Restorative justice conferencing brings together two people connected by a harmful event: the person who was harmed, and the person responsible for it.
The point isn't to relitigate what happened, assign blame, or negotiate a legal result. It's to have a real conversation - one the court system rarely makes room for - about what happened, what it has meant, and what can be done from here.
That conversation happens in a controlled setting with a facilitator present throughout. That's me. My job is to keep the space safe, make sure both people are genuinely heard, and keep things moving toward something useful rather than just painful.
What it isn't
It isn't therapy, and it isn't soft. People sometimes arrive expecting something touchy-feely - and it's nothing of the sort. I encourage people to speak freely and share their experience, and what surprises most of them is how much that helps. Talking openly about what happened, to the person who needs to hear it, can do something a courtroom never will. Some people find it quite therapeutic. But that's a by-product, not the goal.
When it's the right fit - and when it isn't
Restorative justice only works when the person responsible is genuinely willing to take responsibility for what they did and for the impact it had. If someone disputes their involvement, takes issue with their guilt, or wants to shift the blame onto the other party, it isn't the right process. I'll tell you that honestly rather than press ahead with something that won't work.
When it does fit, it can offer the person harmed a real say and real answers, and it can give the person responsible a way to address the harm directly.
Where I come in
I spent two decades in criminal law before doing this work, so I understand these matters from the inside. When you engage me, you deal with me directly from start to finish - not a receptionist, not a junior. I get to know your matter properly, and you can reach me when you need to.
If you're wondering whether it's right for your situation, the best thing to do is talk it through.