Abstract
 
This is an excerpt of an original work conducted for the award of PhD in Restorative Justice and Victimology. The author interviewed seventy seven (N=77) criminal justice professionals in Nigeria which include: the police, prosecutors, lawyers, magistrates, judges, and prison officers who are strategic professionals in the administration of criminal justice. The aim is to investigate their opinions with regards to acceptability of restorative justice in the Nigerian Criminal Justice System. The basis of the study is with regard to the criticisms of the justice system in Nigeria by a vast majority of the people; and to the fact that many a times victims of crime enter the criminal justice system following their victimization, and often times their experiences of the court processes conflict with their expectations. The findings of this study show that 81.8% of the respondents are very likely to recommend restorative justice if the opportunities were available and 15.6% are not likely; with 2.6% undecided. The findings should however not be over generalised because of the small number of respondents.
 
Key words
Restorative Justice in Nigeria, Criminal Justice, ADR, Nigerian Penal Reform