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Summary

Kittayarak, Kittipong (2003). Restorative Justice: The Thai Experience Paper presented at the 123rd International Senior Seminar, January 8-February 14, Fuchu, Japan. Resource Material Series No. 63, pp. 78-86. Tokyo: United Nations Asia and Far East Institute For the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. Downloaded 1 December 2004.

In this paper Kittipong Kittayarak, Director General of the Department of Probation in the Ministry of Justice in Thailand, surveys the Thai experience with restorative justice. After an introduction to the basic ideas and principles of restorative justice, he states that it is not a new approach in Thailand; rather, it is a familiar concept well established in Thai traditions and culture. Elements of it still function in traditional communal justice in rural areas. Hence, with shortcomings in the conventional criminal justice, it is not surprising to see growing interest in restorative justice in Thailand. With all of this in mind, and in the Thai context, Kittayarak examines shortcomings in conventional criminal justice; the need for more community involvement in criminal justice; the rights of victims; recent criminal justice reform; and the introduction of restorative justice in Thailand.

Link: www.unafei.or.jp/pdf/no63/ch08.pdf

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