In the survey of The Press and 98.5 FM on women who claim to regret their public denunciation of Julien Lacroix, the former spouse of the humorist, Geneviève Morin, maintains that restorative justice was “the real solution”. If she had known what restorative justice was in 2020, she would have opted for it rather than publicly exposing her ex. But what exactly is restorative justice? We explain it to you.
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What is restorative justice?
Restorative justice is when a person who has committed a fault “repairs” the harm caused, explains Rachel Chagnon, professor in the Department of Legal Sciences at UQAM. This approach is intended as an alternative to regular criminal justice.
“It’s the idea that reparation will not only restore dignity to victims and allow them to come to terms with what happened to them and move on, but also help the person who committed the offence, because it will allow her to better connect with the victims and learn more about what she has done, ”she continues.
In some cases, restorative justice can replace a prison sentence, but the process can also take place after a conviction, as in a case of sexual assault, in particular.
Restorative justice is an approach often favored within Aboriginal communities.
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who can have recourse to restorative justice?
In Quebec, it is mainly minors who can turn to restorative justice, says Rachel Chagnon.
The professor gives the example of a graffiti artist who could meet the owner of the building on which he painted to become aware of the impact his gesture had.
A person who can access restorative justice usually begins the process after conviction because victim advocacy organizations fear a defendant may enter such a program to escape the risk of a criminal record, it says. -she.
“We want people who sincerely understand that they did something wrong,” she says.
Can restorative justice be used in cases of sexual violence?
Most of the time, in cases of sexual misconduct or domestic violence, restorative justice is not an option considered, argues the one who was director of the Institute for Research and Feminist Studies from 2014 to 2020.
“When you put the aggressor and the victim in front of each other, it rarely goes well and often it is even a traumatic experience for the victim”, she underlines, adding that aggressors can have trouble in such a context to acknowledge their wrongdoings.
In cases of domestic violence, restorative justice is generally not appropriate, since the executioners are often manipulative and it can be difficult to ensure the sincerity of their approach to reparation, she explains.
A victim of sexual assault could, however, ask to meet with a person who has been convicted of such a crime – but who is not their attacker – to begin a restorative justice process. Such an approach can help the victim make sense of what happened to him and the aggressor to repair his mistakes, explains the professor.
A victim who would like to initiate a restorative justice process can contact an organization that will guide them in the process, such as or .
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What are the benefits of restorative justice?
Restorative justice is a good way to make more room for victims in the justice system, by offering them the opportunity to express themselves on what they want to recover from a crime, explains Rachel Chagnon.
“Often what victims want most is for the person to acknowledge their wrongdoing and for the person not to do it again. Restorative justice, without offering guarantees, offers a certain promise in relation to that,” she concludes.
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