Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each crime. Others, however, argue that the circumstances of an individual crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be taken into account when deciding on the punishment. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Although

there is no doubt that crime must be punished, it is important to consider which type of the penal system rule is most appropriate. While some believe that an organization of fixed sentences should be adopted, I support the view that punishments should be based on motives and circumstances. Those who advocate implementing a judicial process of set punishments may argue that

this

would make criminal trials more efficient (TS).

For example

, once a jury has decided a particular defendant is guilty of murder, the judge need only refer to the ‘punishment for murder’ to the sentence that person to life imprisonment. The benefit of

this

is that a huge amount of time would be saved in court,

thus

leading to significant financial savings.

As a result

, more money could be spent on healthcare, education, and welfare.

However

, I would argue that the above rule is too rigid, and a process of ‘flexible’ punishments is much fairer. The latter punishment scheme, which many countries use, leaves more room for compassion toward offenders who have been blackmailed or manipulated.

For instance

, under

this

scheme, if a thief is able to prove that he had been bullied into committing his crime, he should be sentenced to less prison time than a thief who had been motivated by greed. If,

instead

, fixed punishments were implemented,

this

sense of fairness and morality would be lost. In conclusion, while a legal structure of fixed punishments might be more cost-effective and efficient, a procedure of assessing crimes based on circumstances and motives has been more just, and justice, in my view, is paramount.