The right of access to restorative justice and mediation at the stage of criminal enforcement proceedings. Comments de lege lata and de lege ferenda

Abstract

The subject of the article is a formal and dogmatic analysis of the right to mediation, which is part of the right of access to restorative justice. The aims of the article are determined by the structure of the content, with the limitation of considerations to the stage of executive proceedings in criminal cases. First, the aim is to analyze the legal structure of the right of access to restorative justice and mediation. Secondly, the answer to the question of whether, in the light of EU and international law, there is an obligation for state authorities to ensure that the right to mediation is exercised, together with an analysis of its content. Third, the formulation of de lege ferenda proposals related to the establishment of the right of access to restorative justice and mediation. Despite the position, formulated for years in the documents of the Council of Europe, that restorative justice and mediation should be a public service at every stage of criminal proceedings, it has not been established at the stage of executive proceedings. However, this does not result from a defective implementation of EU law, which does not impose an obligation to ensure the right of access to restorative justice and mediation services in areas where these services are not available, making EU Member States only guardians of the standards of services provided, and not guarantors of the possibility of implementing the right to use mediation. De lege ferenda establishing the right of access to restorative justice and mediation would include the power to submit a request for mediation and the obligation of state authorities to create conditions enabling its implementation but not guaranteeing mediation. The analysis of the right to access mediation, which has not been the subject of an explication in the doctrine so far, is to provide knowledge on the structure and potential directions of normative work, taking into account the regulations of EU law and documents of the Council of Europe related to the regulation of mediation proceedings at the stage of executive proceedings in criminal cases.