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 penal

system

is most appropriate. While some believe that a

system

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.

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 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

system

is too rigid, and a process of ‘flexible’

punishments

is much fairer. The latter punishment

system

, which many countries use, leaves more room for compassion toward offenders who have been blackmailed or manipulated.

For instance

, under

this

system

, 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

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instead

, fixed

punishments

were implemented,

this

sense of fairness and morality would be lost. In conclusion, while a legal

system

of fixed

punishments

might be more cost-effective and efficient, a procedure of assessing crimes based on circumstances and motives is more just, and justice, in my view, is paramount.