The 5th Congress of Mediation and Restorative Justice, held on 19 and 20 June 2024, and the Restorative Justice Strategic Plan for Catalonia, presented on 7 June, are the most recent activities in which the president of GEMME Spain, the magistrate Carme Guil, has participated in her firm commitment to promoting Restorative Justice. Mention should also be made of the film forum held in 23 Spanish cities, which brought together over 1,800 participants in 27 sessions.
Restorative justice is becoming increasingly relevant and visible in Spain, and the Spanish section of GEMME is largely the driving force behind it.
Congress on Mediation and Restorative Justice in Barcelona
A fortnight ago (19 and 20 June 2024), the fifth edition of the Congress on Mediation and Restorative Justice was held in Barcelona, organised jointly by GEMME Spain and the Barcelona Bar Association.
The first day took place in a particularly symbolic setting, the former Barcelona prison (La Modelo), in the presence of the Minister of Justice of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Gemma Ubasart, the Dean of the Barcelona Bar Association, Jesús Sánchez, and the President of GEMME in Spain, Carme Guil.
The second day, held at the headquarters of ICAB (Barcelona Bar Association), brought together the most renowned professionals and specialists in restorative justice.
As well as demonstrating the workings and benefits of restorative practices, the aim of the conference was to apply this methodology in areas other than criminal law, such as historical memory, universities, professional associations and the media.
The congress was well attended, and at the end a manifesto was published, which can be downloaded from this link.
More information on the Spanish website.
Presentation of the Strategic Plan for Restorative Justice 2030
Two weeks earlier, the Catalan government, through its justice minister Gemma Ubasart, presented the Restorative Justice Strategic Plan 2030 for Catalonia, with the participation of the president of GEMME Spain, Carme Guil, one of the main representatives of restorative justice in Spain.
This strategic plan aims to make restorative justice the standard response to crime, rehabilitating offenders, repairing victims and strengthening coexistence and social cohesion.
The document is only available in Catalan, but will soon be translated into other languages. It can be downloaded from the following link.
Mor information on the Spanish website.
Cineforum on restorative justice
Another recent activity organised by GEMME Spain to promote restorative justice was the cinéforum with the French film "Les deux visages de la justice", which held 27 sessions in 23 Spanish cities with over 1,800 participants and the participation of 75 expert speakers. Thanks to this initiative, restorative justice is now known not only to mediation professionals, but also to the general public.
The results and photos can be seen in the video below:
More information on the Spanish website.
