Description
This book explores the law, philosophy, and wider implications of that brief but highly consequential moment when a judge imposes sentence on a convicted offender.
Sentencing is one of the most contested aspects of contemporary criminal justice. It is an important field of study, both as an instance of coercive state power over the citizen and the point at which the statutory purposes of punishment are given concrete and public expression.
Focusing on England and Wales, with occasional comparative reference to sentencing practice around the world, topics include the legal and ethical implications of pleading guilty; the origins and development of sentencing guidelines, and the 'ordinary' language in which the sentence itself must be pronounced in open court. Tensions arise over the appropriate treatment of cohorts including the young, racialised, mentally disordered, and dangerous, and the disparate outcomes it can generate – not only in England and Wales, but on the global stage.
At a time of unprecedented crisis – from the phenomenon of 'sentence inflation' 50 years in the making, to the criminal court backlog, to an overcrowded prison estate – the book concludes with an appraisal and critique of the Sentencing Act 2026. Pitched as a once-in-a-generation attempt at meaningful justice reform, its precise impact remains to be seen.
Key Features:
-Offers an original account of a field on the verge of reform, equipping readers with a rich and robust evidence base
-Reconciles classical theories of punishment with modern case law and sentencing practice
-Comparative insights provide perspective and distance, enabling readers to form their own views on a complex field
Accessibility Information
Additional accessibility information
- EPUB 3.0
- Conforms with the requirements of EPUB Accessibility Spec v1.1
- WCAG level AA
- WCAG v2.2 compliant
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
Hazards
The publication contains no hazards
Support for non-visual reading
- No accessibility features offered by the reading system, device or reading software are disabled or otherwise unusable with the product
- Has alternative text descriptions for images
Visual adjustments
Appearance of the text and page layout can be modified according to the capabilities of the reading system (font family and size, spaces, as well as color of background and text)
Navigation
- Page list to go to pages from the print source version
- Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
- All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order
- Content is enhanced with ARIA roles to optimize organization and facilitate navigation
- Purposes of all links are made clear
Rich content
Language tagging provided
Table of Contents
2. Calibrating Severity
3. Individualizing Sentence
4. Pronouncing Sentence
5. Sentencing, Reconsidered
6. Architects of Justice
Product details
| Published | 27 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 208 |
| ISBN | 9781048000252 |
| Imprint | Hart Publishing |
| Series | Key Ideas in Law |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
Related Titles
