Reviews : Restoring Respect For Justice Martin Wright Waterside Press, 1999; pp224, £12.00, pbk
| Author | David Mathieson |
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050004700221 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
148
video
for
the
purposes
of
this
review
accounts
for
that
personal
response.
Having
used
the
material
in
training
sessions
with
both
family
court
welfare
officers,
and
with
professionals
from
other
disciplines,
I
have
found
that
in
practice
the
triggers
provoked
thoughtful
discussion,
during
which
attitudes
and
beliefs
about
how
discrimination
operates
were
challenged,
and
sometimes
changed.
As
with
all
training,
effectiveness
is
closely
associated
with
good
preparation,
and
careful
explanation
of
the
purpose
and
nature
of
the
video
material
is
essential
if
learners
are
to
benefit
from
using
this
pack.
In
this
respect,
the
accompanying
’workbook’
is
invaluable,
providing
step-by-step
guidance
designed
for
those
&dquo;fairly
new
to
training&dquo;.
It
covers
familiarisation
with
the
material,
preparation,
delivery,
and
suggestions
for
training
methods.
Although
’Cornerstones’
is
intended
to
be
used
by
trainers
with
groups
of
’learners’,
the
quality
of
this
guidance
is
such
that
the
pack
could
be
used
by
individuals
wishing
to
explore
their
own
attitudes
and
practice
concerning
discrimination,
disadvantage
and
oppression,
when
training
courses
are
not
immediately
available.
If this
training
resource
has
a
weakness,
it
lies
in
the
absence
of
any
references
to
published
material,
particularly
the
’research’
upon
which -
along
with
’experience’
and
’practice
wisdom’ -
it
claims
to
draw.
Having
successfully
promoted
discussion
and
stimulated
awareness,
the
pack
might
have
suggested
directions
in
which
the
interested
user
might
travel
to
further
knowledge
and
understanding.
However,
’Cornerstones’
offers
a
valuable
starting
point
for
a
consideration
of
good
practice
in
relation
to
ADP
and
diversity.
It
is
relevant
not
only
to
family
court
welfare
practitioners
and
others
working
with
children,
families
and
couples,
but
also
when
addressing
issues
which
might
arise
for
reception,
administrative
and
managerial
staff
elsewhere
within
the
Probation
Service.
Helen
Scholar
Family
Court
Welfare
Officer/Staff
Development
Officer,
Greater
Manchester
Probation
Service
Restoring
Respect
For
Justice
Martin
Wright
Waterside
Press,
1999;
pp224,
£12.00,
pbk
This
book
seeks
to
keep
the
spotlight
on
restorative
justice.
In
this
country,
Martin
Wright
is
recognised
for
his
keen
advocacy
over
many
years
of
the
theory
and
practice
of
restorative
justice,
and
he
has
written
this
new
book
to
take
the
debate
further
and
to
call
for
a
’Citizens’
Commission
on
Crime
and
Justice’.
In
order
to
represent
a
wide
range
of
perspectives,
the
author
uses
what
the
publishers
call
the
&dquo;inventive
approach&dquo;
of
a
symposium
in
which
a
variety
of
fictitious
presenters
discuss
criminal
justice
from
their
particular
angles.
This
provides
the
opportunity
to
analyse
the
potential
for
widening
the
restorative
approach
to
crime.
The
scene
is
set
by
a
stimulating
foreword
from
Roger
Graef,
the
theme
of
which
is
that
&dquo;we
seem
incapable
of
the
kind of
rational
and
radical
thought
about
justice
which
has
been
applied
to
make
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