Just as there’s often no one-size-fits-all answer to a problem, both federal and provincial governments are emphasizing how restorative justice (RJ) is a highly adaptive process, during Restorative Justice Week. This year’s theme, Nov. 18 to 25, 2012, is Diverse Needs; Unique Responses, highlighting how RJ processes create unique solutions to crime and conflict involving different people, environments and systems.

Brenda Morrison, a criminologist and the Centre for Restorative Justice director at SFU, can comment on the importance of RJ as an adaptive process, and the events the centre is hosting to complement RJ week. She can also speak to Canada’s use of restorative justice.

“Basically, United Kingdom (UK) legislators are a step ahead of us in their justice reform initiatives, and we could learn a lot from them, as we proceed in our reforms in B.C.,” says Morrison.

Among the Restorative Justice Week-related events at SFU are the following:

Thurs., Nov. 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 1600, SFU Vancouver campus: City Conversations/Rethinking Justice New Perspectives on Old Challenges.

Morrison, Geoffrey Cowper, QC, and Theo Gavrielides will discuss the future of Canada’s justice system, including the use of restorative justice at City Conversations, an SFU Public Square presentation.

Cowper recently authored an independent report on B.C.’s justice system, which has largely been accepted by B.C.’s attorney general. Among other things it calls for more provincial RJ programs.

Gavrielides, a UK-based restorative justice expert, sits on the UK government’s steering committee on justice reform.

Thurs., Nov. 22, 6 p.m., West Vancouver Community Centre, Dance Studio: Gavrielides will discuss mainstreaming community-led restorative justice programs.

Fri., Nov. 23, 3:30-6 p.m., Room 2600, SFU Surrey campus

Gavrielides, the founder and director of UK-based Independent Academic Research Studies, will present the second annual Liz Elliott Memorial Lecture and Dialogue. His lecture is called Restorative Punishment: Reconciling Restorative Justice with Imprisonment.

Brenda Morrison, 778.782.7627, 778.668.1827 (cell), brendam@sfu.ca