‘titrebSummary’/titrebThe debates started in the early 1990s aimed at a profound change in juvenile justice. The idea of an educational sanctioning right emerged. Today, the draft law tabled by the Minister of Justice L. Onkelinx (PS) seeks to maintain the Belgian tradition of a protective right for minors. The ongoing reform seems to turn back on the tracks studied for more than ten years: this is an adaptation of the protective approach rather than a revolution, which requires tracing the events that led to this outcome. The study starts with the effects of the repeal of Article 53, which prevents the isolation of minors and revives reform efforts. She then turned to developments in restorative justice, and in particular the ideas and experiences in Flanders. Measures related to this model are advised by a number of specialists. They present themselves as a third way out of the tension between ‘punishing’ and ‘educating’, a dilemma in which the process of reforming the protective law was stalled. The study concludes with the analysis of the political process that led to the creation of the closed centre in Everberg. While discussions on a comprehensive sanctional justice project prepared by Minister Marc Verwilghen stalled during the previous parliamentary term, the political agenda was undermined by the repeal of Article 53, which allowed the imprisonment of minors. Political disputes within the rainbow, as well as the desire to reassure public opinion, have led to the establishment of the closed centre in Everberg, which started operating in March 2002. Written jointly by researchers from the north and south of the country, the study highlights the differences in arguments and sensitivities between the two major communities.