The adoption of restorative justice models in criminal justice system: decongesting backlogs in conventional court system in Nigeria
The court system is an integral component of Nigeria’s criminal justice system; however, it has increasingly struggled to deliver justice that is swift, fair, and transparent. This study aims to evaluate the potential of restorative justice models as a complementary approach to the current court sys...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Contemporary justice review
Year: 2025, Volume: 28, Issue: 4, Pages: 431-458 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | The court system is an integral component of Nigeria’s criminal justice system; however, it has increasingly struggled to deliver justice that is swift, fair, and transparent. This study aims to evaluate the potential of restorative justice models as a complementary approach to the current court system. Grounded in the theoretical framework of reintegrative shaming theory, the study adopts a qualitative methodology to gather insights from a diverse group of 30 criminal justice professionals, including prison officials, police officers, lawyers, and judges from the Ministry of Justice. This targeted selection process was designed to leverage their expertise for in-depth interviews. Participants also included six esteemed traditional leaders (Magaji and Alangua) from Tanke and Nda local government areas (LGAs) in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, revealing that a substantial majority of the criminal justice professionals and the traditional leaders expressed strong support for the integration of restorative justice models into the existing court system. These findings underscore the urgent need for the adoption of restorative practices, especially for minor and less serious crimes, to reduce the number of awaiting-trial inmates and alleviate the significant backlog of pending cases plaguing the courts. |
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| ISSN: | 1477-2248 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10282580.2025.2536290 |
