Justice Outside The Box: The Restorative Approach To Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes

O. Jubany

Restorative justice draws on a paradigm of conflict resolution, damage rehabilitation, and justice that seeks to reinstate victims' dignity and wellbeing, by means of an active participation in processes based on direct or indirect dialogue. From the victims' perspective, restorative practices offer them the possibility to voice their experiences and needs, which is critical to many victims, particularly in cases of anti-LGBT hate crimes. This volume offers some critical discussions on restorative justice applied to anti-LGBT hate crimes. The contributions are grounded on the findings of empirical research conducted across six countries in Europe: Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. These cases represent a variety of traditions, struggles and experiences regarding LGBT rights and the countering of LGBT-phobia, whilst also depicting different legal traditions and frameworks for the application of restorative justice. The different chapters are aimed at stimulating academic debate, but also at contributing to the understanding of this paradigm among civil society, justice practitioners, hate crime victims, policymakers and anyone interested in the topic from different approaches and experiences.