Theories and practices of justice do not meet the socio-political challenges of our times. For those theorists attempting to develop an alternative to the criminal justice system, restorative justice has provided an alternative horizon. The restorative justice approach involves meeting people, understanding and recognising their vulnerability through participatory and deliberative forums and practices. The aim of this collection is to bridge the distance between restorative justice and the critical theory tradition. It, on the one hand, takes into account the limits of restorative justice as they have been articulated, or can be articulated through critical social theory, and on the other hand emphasises the ground-breaking potential that restorative justice can bring to this tradition as a way to address crimes, conflicts and injustices, and to pursue justice.

Introduction: Restorative Justice and Critical Social Theory Brunilda Pali and Ivo Aertsen Part I: Bridging the Theoretical Gap and Sharpening the Critical Edge1. Is a Critical Model of Restorative Justice Possible? A Penal Abolitionist Approach Daniel Achutti2. Deconstructing Empowerment in Restorative Justice Daniela Bolívar3. Restorative Justice and the Decision-making Process: Beyond Deliberative Democracy? Raffaella da Porciuncula Pallamolla4. Doing Restorative Justice 'Otherwise': Decolonising Practices in the Global South Harry Blagg5. Outlining a Historical and Critical Ontology of Restorative Justice Giuseppe Maglione6. Restorative Justice is Not a Panacea Against All Social Evils Lode Walgrave7. Restorative Justice, Procedural Justice and Care Josep Tamarit Sumalla Part II: Applying Analytical Tools and Frameworks to Research and Practice8. Restorative Justice and Democratic Citizenship: A New Social Pedagogy or Back to 'Social Defence'? Leo Van Garsse9. Old Goffman as a New Research Strategy in Restorative Justice Ida Helene Asmussen10. Lifeworld, Law and Justice Katrin Kremmel and Christa Pelikan11. 'Cultural' Problematisations in the Restorative Justice Discourse Brunilda Pali12. To Talk or Not to Talk? The Limits and Potential of Restorative Justice in Addressing Social Inequalities Borbála Fellegi, Gábor Héra and Gabriella Benedek13. Digital Stories and Restorative Justice in Brussels Erik Claes, Iman Lechkar, Minne Huysmans and Nele Gulinck Part III: Philosophical Explorations for Restorative Justice14. Restorative Justice and the Potential of 'Exemplarity': In Search of a 'Persuasive' Coherence Within Criminal Justice Claudia Mazzucato15. The Broken Tablets of Moses and the Exodus from (Post-) Modernity: On Rethinking the Role and theRule of Law in a Dialogical Way Federico Reggio16. Control Society, Sovereign Victim Culture and Restorative Justice Ronnie Lippens17. Promised Communities and Unrestored Justice George Pavlich18. A Radical in Disguise: Judith Shklar's Victimology and Restorative Justice Antony Pemberton and Pauline GM Aarten