Authors : Sunday W. Jial

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4jxbx5cp

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/ynde9dme

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul1671

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Restorative justice has gained growing recognition as an alternative or complementary approach to conventional criminal justice. Rather than viewing wrongdoing solely as a violation of state law that requires punishment, restorative justice conceptualises it as harm inflicted on individuals, relationships, families, and communities. It therefore seeks to address victims' needs, establish meaningful offender accountability, repair damaged relationships, and support the reintegration of affected parties. This conceptual article examines the development, principles, and global application of restorative justice, with particular attention to traditional African approaches to communal conflict and cyclical revenge killings. It argues that restorative justice can interrupt revenge cycles by creating a culturally legitimate process through which responsibility is acknowledged, victims are heard, compensation is negotiated, communal relationships are repaired, and commitments to non-retaliation are publicly affirmed. The article gives particular attention to reconciliation rituals, shared meals, oath-taking, collective witnessing, and the invocation of moral or spiritual authority. These practices can transform a negotiated settlement from a private agreement into a socially and morally binding covenant. However, restorative justice should not be romanticised or treated as an automatic substitute for formal justice. Its legitimacy depends on voluntary participation, victim safety, impartial facilitation, proportional accountability, respect for human rights, and effective institutional follow-up. The article concludes that a hybrid approach combining restorative processes, culturally legitimate ritual practices, and formal legal safeguards offers considerable potential for addressing interpersonal and communal violence while preventing renewed retaliation.

Keywords : Restorative Justice, Revenge Killings, Ritualised Reconciliation, Customary Justice, Communal Conflict, Compensation, Accountability, Social Cohesion.

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