Editorial
| Author | Jean Hine |
| Pages | 1-3 |
1
EDITORIAL
Jean Hine, Co-editor
At first glan ce, this issue of the journal seems to contain a disparate range of papers, but
each in their own way addresses the notion o f justice and its meaning in relation to
responding to offending, and each, explicitly or implicitly, addresses the question of the
values that underpin the concept of justice. This is not the place for a philosophical
discussion about what we mean by 'justice', and others more qualified than I have
addressed this question in depth. But it is a word which we use frequently, often without
thinking too hard about its meaning, and it is worth taking the time occasionally to reflect
on our use of terms such as this.
Justice is a concept which cannot be measured, at least not in any reliable way. It i s a
relative concept that var ies between individuals and cultures. We might not be able to
define it but we recognise it when we see it (thou gh more frequently we recognise its
nemesis, injustice). How we see it may be different to our n eighbour: it is an ontological
concept, linked to our individual and cultu ral values and beliefs. This is perhaps a
weakness, but at the same time this is its strength - it leads to contin ual debate about
what is just and what is not. Criminal law, which is th e basis of criminal justice system,
emerges from this debate. The most significant changes in criminal law have come about
as a result of shifts in the value base of society. Changes such as the introduction of
probation, the introduction of separate criminal procedures for children, and the abolition
of the death penalty are exa mples of such value shifts. Some laws, such as the Human
Rights Act, are fundamentally about a statement of values.
At th e same time, our individual values and beliefs shape the way in which we interact
with the criminal justice system, as policy makers, practitio ners, educators or researchers,
as victi ms, offenders and witnesses. A call for the clearer acknowledgement and
understanding of values and how they influence what we do and how we do it is at the
heart of the first contribution to this issue, a thought piece by Anne Robinson. As she
points out, these values and beliefs can inadvertently lead to discrimination an d
oppression, and therefore to injustice. It is therefore important that we take the time to
reflect on what we do, how we do it and its impact, to ensure we do not fall into this trap.
We need to be open to new ideas and ways of understanding events that enable us to
review our values and beliefs. Researchers have an imp ortant role here in questioning
British Journal of Community Justice
©2014 Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
ISSN 1475-0279
Vol. 12(1): 1-3
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