Victims in the Village: Aspects of Restorative Justice on Papua New Guinea

In the villages of Vanimo West Coast, Papua New Guinea, restorative justice processes continue to adhere to traditional practices and beliefs. To a great extent the modern concept of restorative justice or community justice is grounded in the practices of traditional societies such as those of the Maori in New Zealand. One question which arises through the modernisation process is how modernisation has impacted traditional restorative practices and in particular how the criminal justice system is perceived and used by indigenous peoples. Through an exploration of research undertaken by the author in Vanimo West Coast villages the kinds of acts considered injurious are identified, as are traditional restorative justice processes and modern attitudes and practices by victims seeking justice. The research illustrates that villages have maintained a private/public distinction in their disputes, keeping disputes between close kin private and publicising others. Whereas traditionally, disputes made public would be taken to the Chief, nowadays in some cases, the courts and the community government council are the chosen forums for publication. Sometimes a victim seeks only to shame the offender by making the dispute public, this being an end in itself. Overall, the research makes explicit the capacity of victims for adaptation and the continued resilience of custom in resolving grievances.