What is the future of dispute resolution? Will “alternative” dispute resolution (ADR) processes dominate the courts system, or will the later "absorb" the former. This essay answers the above by identifying a dialectic between ADR and the law reminiscent of that between law and Equity. The essay revisits the meaning of justice and the role of dispute resolution processes in society. It concludes that only a strong form of legal plurality will lead to real benefit from ADR.

Prisons in England and Wales from the oldest times until present.

Justice should be a process that victims, criminals, and the community can participate in, while respecting the dignity of all parties. The process should bring about as much recovery as possible for the victim and community, while rehabilitating the criminal.