What is Transformative Justice?

Transformative Justice says that when things go wrong (i.e. harm is caused) justice requires transformation so that the same thing doesn’t happen again. That transformation could be interpersonal - finding new ways to be in relationship with one another - or it could be at a structural or cultural level in the community. It is likely to be both. When harm is caused, transformative justice says that the community within which the harm occurred is also accountable, transformative justice is sometimes used synonymously with the term community accountability. 

Two key principles of TJ are:

• That responses to harm should not cause more harm - this perpetuates cycles of violence. Instead, those cycles must be transformed. 

• That we can and should build the skills and tools we need to keep ourselves safe and hold one another accountable without violence.

How can TJ be applied in an organisation?

TJ is an approach that can be used anywhere where policy is used to offer guidance around accountability/conflict - that includes culture and value agreements, anti-bullying, whistleblowing, line management dynamics, safeguarding, etc.

What about my statutory obligations?

A transformative approach looks at how to prevent harm, not only respond to it and for this reason a radical policy rooted in transformative justice is usually more comprehensive than a standard organisational policy. For example, my work on Radical Safeguarding (in partnership with Maslaha) advocates for an expanded definition ‘child’s best interest’ to include freedom from structural and cultural violence.

How do we get started?

We start with a conversation, where we learn more about each other and what your needs are. You don’t need to do any preparation, and you don’t need to try to fit into a specific request or have an end goal in mind. Every partnership I begin is completely unique because it is rooted in that relationship, and the relationships of the organisation.