Sentencing Thresholds in German Criminal Law and Practice: Legal and Empirical Aspects

The position of the custody threshold and the proportion of cases passing it are crucial for any attempt to reduce imprisonment. The article focuses on the sentencing threshold(s) in Germany, a country that shows relatively low incarceration rates in international comparison. This is in part due to legislation that aims to replace short prison sentences, especially those below six months, by fines, and unsuspended prison sentences up to two years by suspended ones. These provisions are widely applied in practice, yet not always in accordance with the letter of the law. The article will give an overview of the legal and practical aspects of decision-making between fines and prison sentences and between suspended and unsuspended sentences in Germany. It will show that there is not only one sentencing threshold identifiable in practice, but two different ones: firstly, between fines and suspended sentences, and secondly, between suspended and unsuspended sentences. Problems of the German system are identified, among which are the convertability of day fines into suspended and unsuspended prison terms and the treatment of persistent recidivists. Finally, possible solutions are proposed.     

Developing Contextualized Rationales for Sentencing in International Criminal Trials: A Plea for Empirical Research

The aim of this article is to illustrate how the pervading ideologyof retributivism has affected the norms and practice of sentencingin international criminal trials. It examines the nature andoperation of international sentencing law and procedure andthe parameters set for the exercise of discretionary power,suggesting how these militate against the development of moreconstructive rationales for punishment because of their continuedemphasis on principles of consistency and proportionality. Itis argued that the rationales for international sentencing needto engage more with the aspirations for justice of victims andpost-conflict societies. This would suggest a re-evaluationof punishment and a change in the sentencing practices of internationalcriminal tribunals. The article concludes that comparative contextualanalysis could provide important insights, which would be ofgreat assistance for international sentencing.     

Impact of Information About Sentencing Decisions on Public Attitudes Toward the Criminal Justice System

Research reveals public dissatisfaction with perceived leniency of the criminal justice system. However, when asked to sentence hypothetical offenders, members of the public tend to choose dispositions similar to what current court practices prescribe. In two studies reported here, subjects completed a mock sentencing exercise and a general attitude survey. In an initial pilot study, they expressed general dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system but the relative punitiveness of their sentences (in terms of their perceptions of how severe various sentencing options are) was only slightly elevated above a set of reference sentences. Providing a typical judge's sentencing decisions did not decrease dissatisfaction but was associated with an anchoring effect. This effect was explored in the main study by manipulating the provided reference sentences to be either lenient, moderate, or punitive. Again, participants expressed general dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system but prescribed generally moderate sentences, anchoring their sentences to the information provided. However, only those exposed to moderate typical sentences subsequently reported reduced dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system.     

Sentencing Juvenile Offenders to Life in Prison: The Political Sociology of Juvenile Punishment

Sentencing juvenile offenders to life in prison is the most severe criminal penalty available, yet we know little about the factors that produce jurisdictional differences in the use of such sanctions. Political explanations emphasize conservative values and the strength of more conservative political parties. Threat accounts suggest that this sentence will be more likely in jurisdictions with larger minority populations. After controlling for many explanations using count models, the results show that larger numbers of juvenile life sentences are handed out in more politically conservative states with a stronger Republican Party. Findings also show that racial politics is a factor in juvenile life sentences. Those jurisdictions that have the most blacks and have judicial elections sentence the most juveniles to life terms. By highlighting the explanatory power of public ideologies, these findings support political explanations for the harshest criminal punishment directed towards juveniles.     

A Study on Improvement of Criminal Sentencing in Korea: Determinants in Fraud Cases

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the process of judges' sentencing in Korea. Drawing on an empirical data set of the fraud cases, the study proposes (1) to identify the determinants of judges' sentences (2) to contribute to the development of a methodology for the study of sentencing by showing how to conceptualize abstract research questions and finally (3) to identify the scope of an individual judge's discretion. The results of data analysis reveal several interesting points. First, there exists considerable discrepancy in sentencing among individual judges. Such a problem strongly suggests that it is necessary to reform and renovate the current sentencing system so as to guarantee more reasonable sentences. Second, the most important factor determining sentencing is the quantity of prosecution that prosecutors demand. Based on this result, it might appears that Korean prosecutors faithfully execute their jobs to defend the public good. However, it is also quite possible that the defendant is not able to challenge the prosecutor effectively in the trial process. If this is the case, it deserves serious attention, especially in Korea where a publically-sponsored defending attorney is provided only on very limited occasions. Because this study is being based on a limited number of cases (313 fraud cases), the findings should not be over-generalized. To make sound and proper generalizations, more cases need to be analyzed.     

Personal and Vicarious Experience with the Criminal Justice System as a Predictor of Punitive Sentencing Attitudes

This study examined the impact of prior personal or vicarious experience with the criminal justice system on sentencing attitudes. Existing research on sentencing attitudes has examined factors such as race, gender, income level, political affiliation, and education level, but few research studies have focused on actual contact with the criminal justice system and its influence on perceptions of sentencing as either too harsh or too lenient. The current study utilized data collected by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Over 1,500 respondents were surveyed nationwide in 2006 regarding sentencing attitudes. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to assess the impact of factors of interest on sentencing attitudes. Results indicated that individuals who had been charged with a crime (personal experience), or who had an immediate relative or close friend who had been charged (vicarious experience), were more likely to perceive the criminal justice system as too harsh, regardless of race/ethnicity.     

对台湾法院刑事判决之认可研究 --以韩书学劫持航空器案为起点

由于大陆同台湾地区的交往愈来愈多 ,包括刑事判决的相互承认问题在内的刑事管辖权问题愈发突显 ,本文以我国大陆法院对一起刑事案件的判决为例 ,阐释相应问题 ,以其对明确和解决上述问题有所裨益。一长春市中级人民法院的判决认定 ①:被告人韩书学伙同李向誉预谋劫机出境 ,1 993年 1 1月 1 1日乘坐北方航空公司飞机在长春机场起飞。 9时 3 0分李向誉窜至前服务舱 ,用暴力逼迫乘务长将驾驶舱叫开 ,而韩书学则持手术刀进入驾驶舱抵在副驾驶员颈部 ,李向誉并谎称手中持有炸药 ,以炸机威胁 ,强迫机组改飞台湾 ,并于 1 1时 3 0分降落在台北桃园…     

Sentencing Contempt of Court in International Criminal Justice: An Unforeseen Problem Concerning Sentencing and Penalties

International criminal tribunals, like any criminal court, havebeen faced with offences against the administration of justice,such as contempt of court. The power of the UN ad hoc Tribunalsto punish these offences has raised problematic issues mainlyconcerning respect for the principle of legality (includingfrequent amendments to contempt-provisions, and the substantialincrease of the sentencing frame for contempt within only afew years). This article seeks to clarify some aspects concerningapplicable penalties and sentencing for contempt of court throughthe examination of the case law of the ad hoc Tribunals andthe Special Court for Sierra Leone, discussing its implicationsfor the principle of legality. It is argued that the processfollowed in sentencing contempt is in many aspects not dissimilarto the traditional judicial practice of the Tribunals concerningpurposes of punishment, aggravating and mitigating circumstancesand guilty pleas.     

Rethinking Criminal Libel: An Empirical Study

The prevailing view of criminal libel among communication law scholars in the United States is that there are very few prosecutions, that most of the prosecutions are about politics or public issues, and that none of the prosecutions are necessary because victims of defamation can sue for civil libel. The results of an empirical study of all Wisconsin criminal libel cases from 1991 through 2007, however, suggest that criminal libel is prosecuted far more often than realized, that most criminal libel prosecutions have nothing to do with political or public issues, and that the First Amendment is an effective shield on the rare occasions when a criminal libel prosecution is politically motivated. This article concludes that criminal libel can be a legitimate way for the law to deal with expressive deviance that harms the reputations of private figures in cases that have nothing to do with public issues.     

改造:现代刑罚的迷误及其批判--兼及刑罚范式革命与制度变革的思考

本文从“改造”这一刑罚的中国经验出发,结合现代刑罚发展的历史,在修正国内流行的“刑罚进化论”的基础上,以改造刑为例,对现代刑罚制度与理论的迷误及其刑罚理性的谵妄与僭越,进行了具体的工具分析和价值批判;同时,借此分析与批判,本文最后将对于刑罚问题的认识引向关于“刑罚范式”革命的思考,提出了在“刑罚范式”的意义上,现代刑罚应从“国家vs罪犯”向“刑事债权人vs刑事债务人”进行转换,以此实现从“改造刑”到“契约刑”的刑罚制度变革,走向刑事法治的新境界。     

量刑公正与刑法目的解释

立基于量刑公正的考量,疑难案件中定罪与量刑之间有失比例的矛盾无可避免。定罪与量刑不仅是以刑事责任为中介的因果历程,而且是以刑法解释为调适的有效对接,同时也是以刑罚目的为依循的一体运作。在立法既定的情况下,刑法目的解释能够合理化解定罪与量刑之间的矛盾,满足实现量刑公正的需要。刑法目的解释应该以刑罚目的为基准逻辑展开,并且充当法源的刑法目的解释应当被禁止,而指导法官量刑的刑法目的解释应当被守护。     

有组织犯罪的刑事责任与刑罚问题研究

有组织犯罪已成为各国各地区立法、司法部门以及刑法理论界普遍关注的问题。本文主要就有组织犯罪的刑事责任 ,包括犯罪组织内部个人刑事责任的承担及犯罪组织的刑事责任问题进行了讨论 ,并对我国刑法关于有组织犯罪刑罚的规定提出了一些修改完善的建议。     

论预防刑的裁量

刑罚的正当化根据是报应的正当性与预防犯罪目的的合理性,基于报应所裁量的刑罚是责任刑,基于预防犯罪目的所裁量的刑罚是预防刑。裁量预防刑时应当重点追求特殊预防,不得使积极的一般预防优于特殊预防;裁量预防刑时难以追求积极的一般预防,不得追求消极的一般预防;但是,如果一般预防的必要性小则应当从宽处罚。由于预防刑的裁量是刑罚个别化的过程,所以,不能追求量刑平衡。在任何犯罪中,表明被告人再犯罪危险性小的情节都应当受到重视,对罪行严重的犯罪不适用或者严格适用酌定从宽情节的做法,违反刑罚目的。裁量预防刑时,对影响责任刑的情节与影响预防刑的情节,既不能进行综合判断,也不能使之相互抵消;既要考虑类型化的情节,也要考虑非类型化的情节。     

论犯罪后的态度对量刑的影响

根据并合主义与责任主义的要求,在正确选择了法定刑后,首先根据影响责任刑的情节裁量责任刑,然后在责任刑之下根据影响预防刑的情节裁量预防刑并确定宣告刑。犯罪后的态度是影响预防刑的重要情节。对于自首、立功与坦白能否从宽以及从宽的幅度,必须进行实质判断;不自首、不坦白是行为人犯罪后的常态,不能成为增加预防刑的情节。反省、悔罪与赔礼道歉虽然不是法定量刑情节,却是减少预防刑的重要情节,法官在裁量预防刑时必须予以重视。事后积极退赃、赔偿损失与积极挽回损失的行为,既可能使特殊预防必要性减少,也可能使一般预防必要性减少。行为人犯罪后为逃避刑事责任而隐瞒事实、毁灭证据与负案潜逃属于犯罪后的常态,不能成为增加预防刑的情节。     

The Effectiveness of Criminal Punishment

Article 20 of the Fundamentals of Criminal Legislation, dealing with the purposes of punishment, states: "Punishment is not only a penalty inflicted for committing a crime, but also has the purpose of correcting and reeducating convicts in the spirit of an honorable attitude toward work, exact observance of the laws, and respect for the rules of the socialist community, and of preventing the perpetration of new crimes both by convicts and other persons." This definition of the purpose of punishment runs through all Soviet legislation like a red thread.     

嬗变的理性和理性的嬗变──主题报告:刑罚进化论·评论·答辩

主题报告人提出了从进化论角度考察刑罚演变的这样一种学术观点,即刑罚进化论。该论的提出,意在首先明确三个问题：一是刑罚进化的形态,二是刑罚进化的规律,三是刑罚进化的原因。“西南法学论坛”的一些学者就该报告的研究方法及术语使用等问题进行了评论,也提出了一些不同见解,报告人作了简明的答辩。     

认罪认罚案件中量刑建议的审查

<正>自认罪认罚从宽制度正式实施以来,理论实务界围绕量刑建议展开了大量研究,针对量刑建议的性质、效力,量刑协商的程序,以及量刑建议的形式,特别是确定刑还是幅度刑等问题形成了诸多成果,(1)但对于量刑建议的审查,包括法院审查的内容、标准、机制等关注研究不多。认罪认罚制度的适用在实践中快速推进,特别是"两高三部"新近出台的《关于适用认罪认罚从宽制度的指导意见》(以下简称《指导意见》),明确规定检察机关一般应当提出确定刑量刑建议,这     

宽严相济刑事政策研究

北京大学著名刑法学专家陈兴良教授,最近对我国宽严相济刑事政策进行了深入的研究。内容分为三个部分:从严打到宽严相济:刑事政策的反思与调整;宽严相济政策:界定与阐述;宽严相济刑事政策:理念与实现。本刊将连续登载,请各位读者关注。     

宽严相济刑事政策研究

北京大学著名刑法专家陈兴良教授,最近对我国宽严相济刑事政策进行了深入的研究。内容分为三个部分:从严打到宽严相济:刑事政策的反思与调整;宽严相济刑事政策:界定与阐述;宽严相济刑事政策:理念与实现。本刊2006年第1期刊登了前两部分,这里是此文的第三部分。