Professor Theo Gavrielides, founder and director of Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute, will speak at Restorative Juvenile Justice, An International Perspective, a conference taking place in Barcelona on 19 November. This activity also forms part of International Restorative Justice Week 2026, hosted by RJ4All, with this year themed around peacebuilding.
A European Forum for Restorative Juvenile Justice
The conference, held at the Center for Legal Studies and Specialised Training in Barcelona, is jointly organised by the Department of Justice of the Government of Catalonia and Catalonia International, a public-private consortium that promotes international dialogue and cooperation between citizens and institutions.
Catalonia has played a leading role in the development of restorative juvenile justice, pioneering the first restorative justice approach for young offenders in Spain in 1990 and extending the model to adults in 1998, making it one of the most advanced systems in Europe. RJ4All shares this commitment to embedding restorative justice values, power sharing, fairness, equity, dignity and respect, into how justice systems respond to children and young people, and the Barcelona conference offers a chance to compare how that commitment takes shape across different jurisdictions.
The conference will open with a survey of the current state of restorative justice models for children and young people across Europe, and the key challenges facing the field, before moving into the round table. Professor Gavrielides will be joined by Mr Tim Chapman from Northern Ireland and Ms Aitziber Bilbao Etxebarria from the Basque Country, before an expected audience of around 100 authorities, academics and practitioners.
Sharing Restorative Youth Justice Practice from England
Drawing on RJ4All’s experience in restorative justice, Professor Gavrielides will share insights from England, contributing to the wider European discussion on restorative approaches for children and young people.
His contribution will draw on RJ4All’s broader work with children and young people, including the RJiNEAR Resilience Model, an evidence-based psychosocial approach that shifts the focus from viewing young people through the lens of risk to nurturing their strengths and talents, including emotional intelligence and positive identity. It will also reflect RJ4All’s community and youth work, including youth clubs, arts and sports workshops, and wellbeing circles delivered through spaces such as the RJ4All Rotherhithe Community Centre.
Professor Gavrielides is also expected to draw on Restorative Justice – The Evidence: A Pilot for the Youth Justice System of England and Wales, funded by the Youth Endowment Fund and delivered by RJ4All with the Youth Justice Board and Coram across ten Youth Justice Services in England and Wales.
The pilot is testing direct and indirect restorative justice interventions for children and young people aged 10 to 17 who have offended. It uses the Shared Practice Model, co-designed by RJ4All, which sets out ten practical steps from referral to follow-up. Coram is evaluating the model’s feasibility and potential outcomes, with findings intended to inform future youth justice policy and practice.
Building European Consensus Through RJ4All’s Convening Work
The invitation reflects RJ4All and RJ4All Europe ‘s ongoing mission to build consensus on restorative justice through convening: bringing together different European perspectives, facilitating knowledge exchange between practitioners and experts, and supporting dialogue on the development of restorative justice approaches for children and young people.
If you are interested in partnering with RJ4All on restorative justice-focused webinars and/or conferences, please contact Professor Theo Gavrielides at t.gavrielides@rj4all.org.
