The theme of the conference for which this chapter was prepared was ‘conflict management and restorative justice’. It entailed discussion of alternative approaches to the retributive justice system but ones that could be integrated into the overall legal system. Restorative justice is sometimes said to be rooted in the traditions of small-scale indigenous societies, such as in the Pacific Islands. It is wholesome, inclusive of people (including both the victims and the offenders), allows a sense of communal responsibility and participation in the process of dealing with law and order problems. It is unlike the formal institutionalised court systems, which are isolated and foreign to the majority of indigenous people.

One of the underlying goals of this approach is to restore power and confidence to individuals and communities in correcting wrongs, restoring justice and building a more cohesive society.
This chapter covers two more issues that the author did not have time to include at the conference: one being the problem of ‘perception and belief’ in restorative justice; the other being the difficulties encountered by the traditional-cultural restorative justice system in accommodating new changes and developments in contemporary Bougainville. The author raises these issues simply to illustrate some of the difficulties and problems that restorative justice may encounter, particularly when traditional/cultural practices are applied.