Department of Justice and Regulation develop a framework and pilot program for victim centric restorative justice options

The Department of Justice and Regulation is taking steps to implement delivery of restorative justice options to victim survivors of family violence. This will involve:

• reviewing and researching restorative justice models, including those within the Department of Justice and Regulation and Court Services Victoria
• developing an engagement strategy to consult with key experts and victim survivor representatives
• developing a family violence restorative justice framework based on close consultation with experts and victim survivor representatives and international best practice
• developing a restorative justice pilot program and evaluation model

An extensive and detailed consultation and co-design process with a number of key stakeholders including the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, the Office of Public Prosecutions, the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council and other family violence sector agencies has been completed. The resulting Family Violence Restorative Justice Framework has been finalised, and now provides guidance for the development of the pilot program and evaluation model.

A second round of consultation to inform the development of the pilot program has also been completed. A pilot program has been designed to allow victim survivors to have the opportunity to participate in facilitated processes, where they can talk about their experiences and play a more active role in decision making.

Implemented.