Children's Court Magistrates' Views of Restorative Justice and Therapeutic Jurisprudence Measures for Young Offenders
Youth Justice, 17: 22-40, 2016
19 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2016 Last revised: 18 Feb 2018
Date Written: 2016
Abstract
Restorative justice and therapeutic jurisprudence measures have recently been introduced into youth justice systems. As gatekeepers to these measures, Children’s Court magistrates play a crucial role in their success. However, little research has been undertaken on magistrates’ views of these measures. This article addresses this gap by presenting results of interviews undertaken with Children’s Court magistrates in New South Wales, Australia. Our research suggests that magistrates are enthusiastic about the philosophy of both restorative and therapeutic measures, but are reluctant to embrace them if they consider them underresourced, poorly understood and/or poorly implemented. The implications of these findings are discussed
Keywords: Restorative Justice, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Australia, Youth Justice, Courts
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