Acta Juridica Hungarica
Volume/Issue:
Volume 56: Issue 1
Drivers that Change the Direction of Penal Policy: A Case of Developments of Victim—Offender Reconciliation in the Lithuanian Criminal Justice System
Author:
Skirmantas Bikelis Law Institute of Lithuania

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Pages:
2–13
Online Publication Date:
Mar 2015
Publication Date:
01 Mar 2015
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/026.2015.56.1.2
Keywords:
victim—offender mediation; victims’ needs; reconciliation; termination of criminal proceedings
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The paper presents a recent significant shift in Lithuanian penal policies on non-serious crimes where the punitive approach has given way to the restorative approach. It discusses the preconditions of this change with a particular focus on the attitudes of Lithuanian judicial authorities. In contrary to the common stereotypes and academic opinions that criminal justice system holds onto hard-line policies with a high degree of inertia, the results of the research reveals that prosecutors and judges favor the pragmatic alternative ways for solving victim—offender conflicts. Their approach is based on the conviction that full-scale prosecution and punishment for non-serious crimes often impede primary victims’ needs and places an unreasonable burden on the criminal justice system. This approach allows us to anticipate good perspectives for the implementation of the victim—offender mediation services in the Lithuanian criminal justice system.

  • Bikelis, S., Sakalauskas, G., ‘Lithuania’ in Friedel Duenkel, Joanna Grzywa-Holten and Philip Horsfield (eds), Restorarive Justice and Mediation in Penal Matters (Forum Verlag Godesberg, 2015) 477-500.

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  • Bolívar, D., Aertsen, I. and Vanfraechem, I. (eds), Victims and Restorative Justice: An empirical study of the needs, experiences and position of victims within restorative justice practices (European Forum for Restorative Justice 2013).

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  • Bushman, B. J., Baumeister, R. F. and Phillips, C. M., ‘Do People Aggress to Improve Their Mood? Catharsis Beliefs, Affect Regulation Opportunity, and Aggressive Responding’ (2001) 81 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 17-32.

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  • Fattah, E. , ‘Victim Redress and Victim-Offender Reconciliation in Theory and Practice. Some Personal Refl ections’ (1999) 35/1 The Hokkaigakuen Law Journal 87-101.

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  • Michailovič, I. , ‘Atkuriamojo teisingumo galimybės baudžiamojoje justicijoje [Potential of Restorative Justice in Penal Justice System]’ (2014) 6 Globalizacijos iššūkiai baudžiamajai justicijai 77-89.

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  • Michailovič, I., Bikelis, S., Čepas, A., Dobrynina, M., Simaitis, R., Šneideris, D., Ūselė, L. and Venckevičienė, J., Atkuriamojo teisingumo perspektyvos Lietuvoje. Restorative Justice Perspectives in Lithuania [Research Series of Law Institute of Lithuania 2014].

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  • Reches, R. , ‘Psichologinio pasipriešinimo atkuriamajam teisingumui problema’ [The Issue of Psychologic Resistance to the Restorative Justice] (2010) 2/6 Socialinių mokslų studijos 357-374.

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  • Strang, H. , Repair or Revenge: Victims and restorative justice (Oxford University Press 2002).

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Cover Acta Juridica Hungarica
Acta Juridica Hungarica
Print ISSN:
1216-2574
Online ISSN:
1588-2616

Senior editors

Editor(s)-in-Chief: Éva Jakab

Co-Editor(s):
Viktor Lőrincz,
Fruzsina Orosz

Editor(s):
Samanatha Cheesman,
Zsuzsa Fejes,
Attila Kun,
Gábor Sulyok,
Márton Varju

Editorial Board

    1. Attila Badó
    1. Myátyás Bódig (Aberdeen)
    1. Zoltán Csehi
    1. Péter Cserne (Hull)
    1. Balázs Gellér
    1. András Jakab
    1. Miklós Király
    1. György Kiss
    1. Jan Kudrna (Praha)
    1. Herbert Küpper (Regensburg)
    1. Konrad Lachmayer (Durham)
    1. Andzrej Stanisław Mączyński (Kraków)
    1. Guido Pfeifer (Frankfurt am Main)
    1. Miklós Szabó
    1. Zoltán Szente
    1. G.J.J. Heerma van Voss (Leiden)
    1. Bernd Waas (Frankfurt am Main)
    1. Fryderyk Zoll (Osnabrück)

Advisory Board

    1. Péter Erdő
    1. Gábor Hamza
    1. Attila Harmathy
    1. László Kecskés
    1. Tibor Király
    1. László Korinek
    1. László Sólyom
    1. Lajos Vékás
    1. Imre Vörös

Acta Juridica Hungarica
P.O. Box 25
HU–1250 Budapest,Hungary
Phone: (36 1) 355 7384
Fax. (36 1) 375 7858
E-mail: acta.juridica@tk.mta.hu

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Acta Juridica Hungarica
Language English
Size  
Year of
Foundation		 1959
Publication
Programme		 changed title
Volumes
per Year		  
Issues
per Year		  
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia  
Founder's
Address		 H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 1216-2574 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2616 (Online)

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