Sentencing Theory

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Current sentencing practices in Canada are based on several theories both ancient and modern. In the two articles that address the issue you will discover what those theories are and how they have been applied. Some of the old ideas have recently been found to be less useful because they don’t recognize the special circumstances of some offenders. The second article is a case study in which a particular offender was deemed to fit into a group that deserves special consideration by the court.

In the Teaching Resources section of this issue students are given the opportunity to think about the reasons for and the benefits and problems that arise when the courts have to take into consideration special circumstances.