Specializations and Dilemmas of Legal Scholars in Crime Victims Support in Japan: Dependent Relationships between Professional Groups in Restorative Justice

Abstract

This paper reveals two specializations of legal scholars engaged in crime victims support in Japan by examining how their specializations are formed through their practice of restorative justice, and the dilemmas in their specializations. The first specialization, which is based on restorative practices, held dilemma in both theory and practice. The second specialization was found in the institutionalization of criminal justice. This specialization held dilemma in both a moderate degree of institutionalization and a strong degree of institutionalization. Both of these specializations were formed through multiple commitment of legal scholars to restorative justice with the above two dilemmas.