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Essay On Discretion In Sentencing

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Do Irish judges have too much discretion in sentencing criminal offenders? If they do, to what extend should their exercise of discretion be curtailed?

Judicial discretion is the power the law provides the courts or a judge to choose appropriate sentencing, which is lawful . A sentence is ordered by the judge, based on the verdict of the jury (or judge’s decision if no jury) within the possible punishment set by law .
Judges I believe do possess too much discretion in the sentencing of criminal offenders. In the Irish legal system, the sentencing of criminal offences is very broad for judges apart from the mandatory sentence of murder, which leaves the judge no discretion in his/her sentencing.
Should Irish judge’s discretion be curtailed? Yes, I would be in favour of a more robust system where judges sentencing is more consistent. The sentencing of criminal offenders in Ireland, at this moment in time, is of the opinion that it is in fact too inconsistent. There are currently certain restrictions on the sentences which are applied to criminal offenders e.g. …show more content…
Before we have more scenarios like the Lucia O’Farrell case, a revamp or moderate balance between a broad discretion and the system installed in the United States and the United Kingdom must be established, while retaining an element of the individualisation sentencing we currently have in our system. Time will be needed for judges to be informed regarding sentencing guidelines and training may be required to help the courts provide that perfect balance. Every system strives for a perfect system but in reality near perfection is impossible. Judges are human and will make errors. They will stick too closely to the guidelines to be safe and some may continue to be guided by what they have done for the last number of years and view individual cases in a singular

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