Principle of Just Deserts

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News: The Supreme Court of India stressed the principle of just deserts and held that compensation and reducing the sentence of convicts cannot replace punishment.

About Principle of Just Deserts

Principle of Just Deserts
Source – iPleaders
  • The Principle of Just Deserts is rooted in the retributive theory of punishment, which emphasises that people, as responsible agents, deserve to be punished when they break the law.
  • It is a principle of punishment which argues that criminal sanctions should be proportional to the seriousness of the offence. 
  • It also held that the punishment given to an offender for the commission of a particular crime should also be given to a person who commits the same crime.
  • The seriousness of the offence and its core components determine the level of moral outrage and the magnitude of punishment under the just deserts principle.
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