SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister for the Presidency, Public Administration, Justice and Security, Nieves Lady Barreto, together with the Minister for the Interior, Civil Service and Justice of Navarre, Amparo López Antelo, signed the Declaration of the Canary Islands for a Restorative Culture today. This declaration prioritises the reparation of harm inflicted on the victim, the reintegration of offenders, and the community’s involvement in the criminal justice process.
Nieves Lady Barreto remarked that the Canary Islands are making a commitment today to uphold the principles and values of restorative justice, taking initial steps to implement it effectively, drawing from Navarra’s experiences in this field.
Within the context of a series of workshops and exchanges held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the councillor emphasised that a “modern and effective” justice system necessitates “resources that facilitate dialogue between those who have caused injury and those who have been affected.” She stated that the Canary Islands will collaborate with Navarre to further humanise the justice system and to advance a public policy of restorative justice aimed at achieving comprehensive and moral reparation.
Amparo López noted that the Government of Navarra has been engaged in restorative justice for several years and expressed satisfaction in showcasing the collaborative efforts between autonomous communities through this protocol. “We face similar challenges, operate under the same regulatory framework, and must learn from each other, collaborate and progress collectively,” she remarked.
The principles of restorative justice encompass voluntary participation, solidarity, reparation, accountability, and peace-building, all while upholding the human and procedural rights of victims as well as those under investigation or conviction, implementing methods such as criminal mediation.
Consequently, both governments are dedicated to ongoing exchanges of knowledge and exemplary practices related to these matters, aimed at promoting mutual learning that will enhance public policies concerning justice, security, and coexistence.
They have also agreed to foster training and awareness among legal professionals and society at large, ensuring that all understand the advantages of restorative justice, particularly its ability to guarantee the reparation of victims and the reintegration of offenders.
Moreover, the Canary Islands and Navarre will establish stable restorative justice services, equipped with appropriate training and quality, supported by public administrations with adequate funding, oversight, and continual assessment of outcomes. They will also advocate for the prevention of the judicialisation of conflicts through community restorative practices, described as methods for preventing and resolving non-judicialised disputes, promoting social cohesion and striving to create collective environments of trust, responsibility, respect, and caring. This approach aims to foster peaceful coexistence within our communities.
This declaration concludes a series of working sessions between the two governments, featuring prominent figures from the judiciary, public prosecutor’s office, and security forces from both the State and the Canary Islands. These sessions were inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Security, Cesáreo Rodríguez, and included a presentation from Daniel Montesdeoca, Professor of Criminal Law and Director of the UNESCO Chair of Human and Democratic Rights at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Director General of Justice, Maite Arenaza, and Jorge Ollero, the Director of the Reinsertion, Mediation, and Restorative Justice Service, participated on behalf of the Government of Navarra, alongside other specialists.
