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Access to Justice

Restorative justice and the police complaints and disciplinary process

Mon, 10 November 2003

Dr Richard Young and Dr Carolyn Hoyle, of the Centre for Criminological Research at the University of Oxford, have recently completed an evaluation, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, of an initiative to apply restorative justice to the police complaints and disciplinary process.

Dr Richard Young and Dr Carolyn Hoyle, of the Centre for Criminological Research at the University of Oxford, have recently completed an evaluation, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, of an initiative to apply restorative justice to the police complaints and disciplinary process.

The new method of handling complaints involves meetings between complainants and the police officers complained about. In the meetings both parties are given the chance to express their thoughts and feelings about the complaint and are assisted in this by a trained facilitator.

The research involved two police forces, one of which was handling complaints in a traditional manner, the other of which was seeking to use a restorative justice approach.

The research found that complainants who experienced a restorative justice approach were more satisfied with various aspects of the complaints process, including their overall experience, than complainants experiencing the conventional procedure. Officers experiencing a restorative justice approach were more satisfied only in some respects.

The study concluded that restorative justice, when implemented properly, offers substantial advantages over conventional complaints procedures. The research will inform Home Office guidelines in the use of restorative justice for police complaints and the training of those administering it.

Further information about the evaluation can be obtained from Dr Richard Young or Dr Carolyn Hoyle, Centre for Criminological Research, University of Oxford, 12 Bevington Road, Oxford OX2 6LH.

Last Updated Wed, 7 April 2004