International Journal on Criminology Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2015 | Page 11

Restorative Justice in the Penal Reform in France
In conclusion to this summary examination of the law of August 15, 2014, and its
relation to restorative justice and the new rights accorded to victims and perpetrators,
the penal reform carried out under the impetus of the minister of justice marks a real
turning point for the integration of the measures that it promotes in French criminal law.
The strong proposals from social partners or the French Platform for Restorative Justice 11
were also determining factors. The introduction “of restorative justice” into the Code
of Criminal Procedure by an invaluable amendment finally offers a juridical framework
that is conducive to implementing restorative justice practices to benefit those who have
suffered from a crime, without any kind of leaning toward privatizing the penal process.
It is indispensable for all those involved in implementing justice measures to have
special training. No one can overemphasize the anachronistic removal of section 75 of the
French National University Council, “Criminology” (Cario, Villerbu, and Herzog-Evans
2012). This powerful idea, whose time has come, must now be pragmatically manifested
in action (Johannès 2014), so that everyone can “integrate” these new rights, which allow
the reconquering of individual dignity, represent a powerful desistance factor 12 (Ward
and Maruna 2007; Shapland, Robinson, and Sorsby 2011; Farrall et al. 2011; Herzog-
Evans 2013), and reveal citizen solidarity.
11
French Platform for Restorative Justice: Plateforme Française pour la Justice Restaurative, justicerestaurative.org/PFJR.
12
The mechanisms and results of which are very close.
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