The Rotorua Second Chance Restorative Justice Programme was selected for re-evaluation by the New Zealand Ministry of Justice so that best practice principles for community-based restorative justice programmes utilising tikanga-based practices might be identified. The relatively high proportion of Maori offenders referred to the programme reflects the programme’s philosophy that restorative justice provides a forum in which Maori offenders may be held tribally accountable for their actions. The evaluation was based on an offender reconviction analysis and interviews with key stakeholders, victims and offenders. It finds, overall, that that the one-year reconviction rate for a sample of Rotorua programme participants was very similar to the rate for a matched comparison group of offenders; the programme was successful in securing the active participation of community members in situations where victims were unwilling or unable to attend the restorative justice meeting, and in securing the participation of victims where they consented; 95% of participating victims were satisfied with the meeting overall and about nine in ten offenders completed all the elements of their negotiated plans; and the program was successful in gaining acceptance from professionals working in the criminal justice system. Forty-seven percent of victims, and 53% of offenders, said that it was not at all important for their cultural needs and expectations to be taken into account at the restorative justice meeting. The evaluation also finds that the Rotorua Second Chance Restorative Justice Programme generally appeared to be operating in the spirit of the Ministry’s eight principles of best practice for restorative justice processes, and concludes by making a number of recommendations for improvements in different areas of practice. (Executive summary, edited).