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,
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.
Submitted by manapapuja2 on

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Structure your answers in logical paragraphs

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A strong argument essay structure can be split up into 4 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences (except the conclusion paragraph, which only contains 3 sentences).

Stick to this essay structure:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

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