The Development of the National Restorative Justice Policy and Practice Framework
The National Restorative Justice Policy and Practice Framework has been published by the Scottish Government in March 2026, marking a major step toward making restorative justice (RJ) available across the country in a safe, consistent, and trauma-informed way.
The Framework is designed to be rights-respecting and person-centred, ensuring that those affected by harm are at the heart of the process. It offers practical guidance and outlines expectations for all organisations involved in the delivery or promotion of RJ.
Restorative justice is a process that brings together people who have been harmed and those responsible for harm, helping to support healing, accountability, and meaningful dialogue. In Scotland, interest in RJ has grown, leading to the creation of guidance for practitioners in 2017, a national Action Plan in 2019 and, later, the need for a more detailed framework to guide practice across sectors.
The development of this work was led by Community Justice Scotland, working closely with the government colleagues and other stakeholders, including Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Victim Support Scotland, Police Scotland, RJ practitioners and researchers, Scottish Women’s Aid, Action for Children. The process was co-productive, including direct input from people with lived experience of harm.
Key stages of the framework’s development included:
- Identification of systemic gaps, including inconsistencies in referral pathways, roles and responsibilities, and ethical considerations.
- Consultations with experts by lived experience through participatory group discussions (World Cafés) and one-to-one interviews.
- Consultations with justice partners, practitioners, and third sector organisations.
- Drafting and co-production, incorporating feedback from stakeholders and government officials.
- Publication of the framework as a living document, subject to ongoing refinement based on real-world use.
More details, including the context and outline of each stage of the Framework’s development from early evidence-gathering to co-creation with lived experience experts and other stakeholders, are provided in the report embedded within this page.
As a living document, the Framework will remain in working format to ensure continuous reflection, feedback, and refinement based on practice, including input from service providers, partner agencies and people who use the services. It will continue to evolve in line with findings from implementation and stakeholder engagement.