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An international perspective on proportionality

By Douglas A. Berman

I just saw via SSRN this paper coming from Australia titled "Proportionality in Sentencing and the Restorative Justice Paradigm: ?Just Deserts? for Victims and Defendants Alike?". Here is the abstract: The doctrine of proportionality seeks to limit arbitrary and capricious punishment in order to ensure that offenders are punished according to their ?just desert?.  Proportionality goes some way toward achieving this ?balanced? approach by requiring a court to consider various and often competing interests in formulating a sentence commensurate with offence seriousness and offender culpability.  Modification of sentencing law by the introduction of victim impact statements or the requirement that sentencing courts take explicit account of the harm done to the victim and community has generated debate, however, as to the extent to which offenders may be now subject to unjustified, harsher punishments...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on July 01, 2009 (boomark / email).