Northern Ireland Office (NIO) plans for the monitoring of community-based restorative justice schemes are meeting increasing opposition.
The Alliance Party today joined unionist parties and the SDLP in insisting the police's input into the schemes is insufficient.
But the North's criminal justice minister reacted strongly to the criticism, saying opponents should put forward proposals rather than criticising his.
Last month the draft Community-based Restorative Justice Protocols were circulated following discussions with the PSNI.
The aim of the schemes operating in loyalist and republican areas is to bring the perpetrators of low-level crime face-to-face with their victims to agree an appropriate penalty.
Sinn Féin and other supporters of the schemes argue they are a viable alternative to the expulsions and so-called punishment attacks meted out by paramilitary groups.
But critics fear republicans in particular want restorative justice organisations to act as an alternative to the police in their neighbourhoods.
The programmes are currently funded by American philanthropists but, with that source of finance due to end soon, supporters want them be officially sanctioned and receiving of government funding.
Under draft guidelines, the NIO last month proposed the majority of state- funded restorative justice groups should refer cases they want to handle to an advisory panel featuring the police, representatives of the scheme and either the Probation Board or Youth Justice Agency.
However, in republican areas where people refuse to engage with the PSNI, there would be no obligation on those running schemes to deal with officers directly. Instead they could alert the PSNI about cases they want to deal with by contacting the Probation Board or Youth Justice Agency who will pass the proposal on to the police.
The PSNI would then consider if there needs to be any action - such as fingerprinting - before referring a case to the Public Prosecution Service which would ultimately decide if a community restorative justice scheme should handle the case.
Unionists say the proposals would give police insufficient involvement, and the SDLP's Alex Attwood also warned yesterday the credibility of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate (CJI) could be damaged if it took on an inspection and accreditation role under the scheme.
"The CJI would be giving validation to restorative justice schemes even when the protocol does not cover 95 per cent of restorative justice work.
"It would be going into dangerous waters if it assumes a role in monitoring and accrediting restorative justice schemes, when the schemes are established on such weak and shoddy principles," Mr Attwood said.
But the North's criminal justice minister, David Hanson, said the SDLP and other critics needed to be clearer about their vision of community restorative justice.
"Now they may not think what we have proposed is tight enough - in which case come to me with positive suggestions about it.
"Don't come to me and say don't inspect the schemes - which is what the latest statement says - because then I'll say at the end of February there are no guidelines. However the schemes will still be there."
"My challenge to Alex and others is come up with minimum standards you think they should operate under."
The Alliance Party's justice spokesman, Stephen Farry, said he approved of the schemes but that there was a danger that they could also lead to justice being denied.
PA