Care is a fundamental requirement of human existence; we literally cannot live with it. But modern law and legal institutions are largely indifferent to the need to foster relationships of care between citizens, favouring instead the protection of individual rights and freedoms. But restorative justice, reflecting its biblical inspiration, can be most helpfully conceptualised as a relational justice of care that seeks to restore dignity, trust, responsibility and care to harmed relationships.

About the Speaker

Professor Chris Marshall recently retired as inaugural holder of the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative justice at Victoria University of Wellington. Before moving to Victoria University in 2005, he taught New Testament for 19 years at Laidlaw College. Author of seven books and over 70 articles and book chapters, Chris has won several awards for his research, teaching and public engagement.