The opportunity is to allow shame to follow from a discussion of all the harm the offender caused, with a forgiving acceptance of the offender's remorse. What the Observers Saw. Rating scales used by the research team who observed both court and conference proceedings show conferences succeed on most dimensions of reintegrative shaming. Conferences are much more likely than court to express clear disapproval of both the type of offence and the specific crime the offender committed. The observers found no difference, however, in the amount of stigmatic shaming expressed in court and conference.
Conferences are superior to court in evoking offender expressions of remorse.
Both drink drivers and young offenders are rated as more apologetic in conferences than in court. Young offenders are twice as likely to offer apologies for their crimes in conferences as in court. Conferences are also superior in evoking forgiveness in response to offenders' remorse. Both drink driving and young offender conferences were much more likely to elicit forgiveness than court appearances. Canberra's police have also succeeded in creating the emotional intensity that Professor Braithwaite recommends for effective shaming.