Speaking legal English. Борисова Л.А. - 33 стр.

     Exercise 3. What is punishment? What kinds of punishment do you
know?

      Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps in the text with one of the words given and
discuss the questions after the text.

      Wrongdoer              Reform                       Break the law
      Misdeeds               Retribution                  Death penalty
      Barbaric               Rehabilitate                 Corporal punishment
      Humane                 Law-abiding                  Deprived
      Deterrent              Crime doesn’t pay            Commits a crime

                            The Purpose of State Punishment
       What is the purpose of punishment? One purpose is obviously to (1)
_____the offender, to correct the offender's moral attitudes and anti-social
behaviour and to (2) ____ him or her, which means to assist the offender to
return to normal life as a useful member of the community. Punishment can also
be seen as a (3)____, because it warns other people of what will happen if they
are tempted to (4) _____ and so prevents them from doing so. However, a third
purpose of punishment lies, perhaps, in society's desire for (5) ____, which
basically means revenge. In other words, don't we feel that a (6) ______ should
suffer for his (7) _____? The form of punishment should also be considered. On
the one hand, some believe that we should 'make the punishment fit the crime'.
Those who steal from others should be (8) ____ of their own property to ensure
that criminals are left in no doubt that (9) '_____'. For those who attack others,
(10) ____ should be used. Murderers should be subject to the principle 'an eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' and automatically receive the (11) ______. On
the other hand, it is said that such views are unreasonable, cruel and (12) _____
and that we should show a more (13) ____ attitude to punishment and try to
understand why a person (14) ______ and how society has failed to enable him
to live a respectable, (15) _____ life.

      1. Do you think punishment, especially in the form of imprisonment,
         really achieves all these purposes?
      2. What is your attitude to the phrase “make punishment fit the crime”?

      Exercise 5. Match the description with the type of alternative punishment.
For what offenses should these alternative punishments be inflicted? Think
about advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

  1. The suspension of sentence on the offender
  subject to the condition that he is supervised            a) disqualification
  while living in the community by an officer and
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