Previous research shows that participation in victim-offender mediation (VOM) predicts psychological outcomes in offenders – such as increased responsibility-taking and victim empathy. However, little is known about elements that might contribute to these outcomes. We hypothesised that adhering to three fundamental conditions of VOM (perceived voluntary participation, preparation, professional competencies of mediators) and three working mechanisms (learning opportunity, humanising impact, a positive and constructive atmosphere and interaction with victims) would relate positively to the occurrence of these outcomes. In addition, we expected the fundamental conditions to either moderate the association between the working mechanisms and the psychological outcomes or to directly predict the presence of the working mechanisms. To examine this, we used quantitative (n = 55) and qualitative data (n = 9) of offenders and mediators, respectively, who participated in VOM. Results offered partial support for the hypotheses. Three groups of working mechanisms of the VOM process were related to psychological outcome variables: the perceived degree of a positive and constructive atmosphere and interaction with victims, humanising impact, and offering a learning process. The prevalence of the fundamental conditions, preparation and mediators’ professional competencies correlated positively with multiple working mechanisms; the perceived voluntary participation showed expected and unexpected associations with working mechanisms.

Restorative justice is a process in which victims and offenders voluntarily deal with the crime’s aftermath. It is one of the significant developments in criminal justice in the past decades. Many scholars and practitioners promote it worldwide in recent years as not simply an alternative but a complementary mechanism to the conventional criminal justice system. However, from the beginning of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and public health measures were imposed worldwide. As a result, the restorative justice service providers of various countries have faced new challenges in implementing this justice mechanism. This article explores the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the restorative justice professionals (i.e. managers and practitioners) in Scotland. It uses semi-structured interviews to collect data and thematic analysis to analyse the data. This article reveals that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the professionals had to provide restorative justice services in Scotland entirely through digital platforms and, therefore, they faced challenges in transforming emotion in the restorative justice processes, ensuring community participation and guaranteeing privacy and safety to the parties. It also indicates the fact that hybrid restorative justice services in Scotland seem to be a practical alternative for certain parties at times.

Christian proponents of the restorative justice movement often draw upon the concept of ‘biblical justice’ as a guiding principle for reforming the criminal justice system. This article delves into the meaning of biblical justice as espoused by advocates of restorative justice, exploring its application in theory and practice. Through an analysis of three recurring themes – overcoming division, justice as well-being and retribution – this article highlights the controversies and ambiguities surrounding these concepts from both theological and restorative justice perspectives. It proposes that adopting a virtue-ethical approach can offer a nuanced understanding of the relationship between biblical justice and restorative justice.

People who have had to flee their homes and seek asylum are often vulnerable and experience harm and trauma. Restorative justice offers a way of addressing the criminal harm that people of a refugee background may experience in places of asylum, and yet there is very little literature or visible practice on this topic. This article presents an exploratory study to address this issue, reviewing existing literature and presenting an analysis of interviews with restorative justice practitioners, representatives from organisations supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and people of a refugee background. Findings suggest restorative justice is a potentially beneficial response to address harms experienced by people of a refugee background, as it can be responsive to trauma, facilitate understanding and connection and address racism and antagonism. Barriers and challenges for restorative justice in this context include language, communication, interpretation, mistrust, insecure immigration status, the impact of trauma, and access to basic resources. Cultural difference ought to be taken into consideration, but it was not considered to be a barrier to engagement in restorative justice. The potential for restorative justice to address the structural issues that impact on people of a refugee background requires further exploration.