Volume V Number 20 . . . . It's about Justice. It's about Healing. Review by Joanne Peters. In traditional court procedures, the accused is brought before a judge, possibly a jury, and legal counsel seeks to establish guilt or innocence and the appropriate remedy.
Traditional courts maintain distance and hierarchy.
In a sentencing circle, the offender, his or her victims, the victim's family, peers, elders and other community members sit down together in a circle and work together to understand what has led to the crime and to negotiate appropriate redress. Rather than being purely punitive, the circle promotes healing. Instead of removing the offender from the community and isolating him or her, the circle affirms the essential goodness of the offender, attempting to restore and re-build the offender, the victim, and the community to which they all belong. The film describes the heritage of the Canadian judicial system within northern aboriginal communities and offers some reasons as to why it has been largely ineffective. Interviews with offenders, members of sentencing circles, and the judiciary provide a variety of perspectives and insights into the circle process.