Full title in original language:
Restorative justice: Family and community group conferencing (FCGC) in Thailand
Education level:
University University (18+ years)Topic / subtopic:
Crime prevention and criminal justice Restorative justice Criminal justice systemTarget audience:
Students,
Teachers / Lecturers
Type of resource:
Publication / Article
Languages:
English
Region of relevance:
Global
Access:
restricted access: requiring payment
Individual authors:
Wanchai Roujanavong
Publication year:
2005
Published by:
7th International Conference on Conferencing, Circles and other Restorative Practices
Key themes:
cpcj, criminal justice, justice, crime, restorative justice, family, Thailand
Links:
Short description:
In the past, restorative justice was a traditional practice in Thailand because most Thai people lived in extended families and preferred a negotiatory approach to dispute settlement. Before the modernization of the Thai legal system, victims went to authorities only when there were serious cases, e.g., murder or robbery, but for minor conflicts, they went to a traditional and informal mediation committee, composed of the village headman and a group of elders of the village where both parties lived, to settle their dispute in restorative manner. The parties, their families and the community took part in the negotiation process; they accepted the verdict because the committee had strong social support from the whole village to sanction the party who defied the decision. In the 19th century, the Thai legal system was modernized based on the models of Western countries (i.e., the civil and common law system), but under the new legal system there was no law to back up the practice; plus there was a notion that granting justice was the exclusive duty of the court and that judges should decide all cases. Restorative justice in Thailand, therefore, gradually faded away.