Restorative Justice, Policing and Insurgency: Learning from Pakistan

Abstract

It is unwise to give a clear answer to the policy question of the prudence of restorative justice under the auspices of police. Restorative justice inside Pakistan police stations illustrates why only a contextual answer makes sense. On the basis of purely qualitative evidence, it is argued that this restorative justice program sustainably reduces revenge violence, makes a contribution to preventing Pakistan from spiraling into civil war and to assisting a police force with low legitimacy to become somewhat more accountable to local civil society. These contributions are limited but could be much more significant with modest donor support. Investment in human rights and gender awareness training can also help control the abuses that have occurred under this program by increasing accountability. The ruthless, murderous, divisive politics of policing and restorative justice in Pakistan seems a least likely case for deliberative democracy to work. In limited ways it does.

Keywords: Restorative justice, policing, insurgency, Pakistan

JEL Classification: N40