Conference on restorative justice concludes at Dead Sea

AMMAN — The Restorative Justice in Contemporary Criminal Policy Conference concluded on Saturday, encouraging the participating states to take the necessary measures to instil restorative justice and disseminate its concepts, which are in line with the Arab social fabric, legislation and heritage.   

The three-day event was held by the Jordanian Public Prosecution in cooperation with Prince Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea region.

The conference recommended focusing on studies, research and statistics that could enhance restorative justice, which implements alternatives to carceral penalties, according to a statement from the organisers. 

The recommendations also called for preparing a draft law modelling restorative justice in criminal cases in accordance with international standards.

Adopting restorative justice could address a number of the shortcomings of the traditional justice system. To see restorative justice as an evolving response to crime that respects the dignity of every person and the principle of equality, the conference suggested that the curricula in legal higher education, judicial institutes and police academies should include concepts of restorative justice to instil the value of reconciliation and ultimately implement the method in the criminal justice system.

The event featured the participation of over 200 prosecutor generals from Jordan and Arab countries, in addition to a number of Arab and non-Arab restorative justice experts and representatives from global organisations.