Mini Law School - Dilemmas in Canadian Sentencing Law
Channel: Schulich Law
Date: 2012-09-30

In the first lecture of our Mini Law School series, we look at dilemmas in Canadian sentencing law. 

"What we see on the news tends to be the 'bottom line' of the judge's sentence," explains Professor Kaiser. "What we don't often have access to are the full reasons given by the court, and this can be really frustrating for members of the public who may perceive a sentence as being 'too lenient'. But sentencing isn't as easy as you might think! You can't just say 'lock them up and throw away the key'—among other things, you have to consider the protection of society and how that is best achieved, the pain of victims, the rehabilitation and reintegration of most offenders, and the messages that the sentence sends. In my lecture, I'll review the context and the basic law on sentencing and then present some fairly typical scenarios to get participants thinking about what would be an appropriate sentence, given the law and our legal system, and we'll work through how a decision must be rationalized before it's handed down."

Presented by Professor Archie Kaiser, Schulich School of Law on January 20, 2011.

MINI LAW SCHOOL is a free series of engaging public lectures that will give you a taste of what a legal education is all about. There's no cost to attend - and better still, no tests to write - just come with a curious ear to listen to fascinating lectures from some of the law school's most talented faculty.

For more information, visit our website: dal.ca/law

Thanks for watching!