This special issue focuses on two topical fields emerging within the social sciences: restorative justice and civil society. The broad range of scholarly work in these fields is growing quickly but remains inchoate. The aim of this volume is to begin to forge coherence from a diversity of intellectual perspectives and jurisdictions across the world. The contributors represent a range of disciplines - psychology, social work, law and criminology - and focus on a range of institutions - schools, criminal and juvenile justice, and family welfare. Some focus more on practice, some more on theory, but together they are building exciting links between theory and practice in two of the most stimulating areas of interest in the social sciences.