摘要：This article deals with the development of restorative justice in South Africa and cases appropriate to restorative justice in terms of international trends. An analysis of cases referred to restorative justice in the Tshwane Metropolitan Area is made and compared with international and national research findings. The research found that restorative justice in the Tshwane Metropolitan Area is currently mostly used at the pre-trial level for cases of assault and domestic violence where the victim and offender know each other in line with traditional African custom. There is furthermore considerable focus on the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders as part of the restorative agreement. Such treatment is aimed at reducing future violence which may arise as a result of the fact that the victim and offender know each other in about 75 percent of cases of interpersonal violence. The profile of victims and offenders are broadly in line with international findings in that most offenders are male while a large number of victims are female and the majority of victims and offenders are under the age of 35. A number of recommendations are also made based on the research findings.
