Author(s)

Xinran Li ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Beijing 21st Century International School, 100036, Beijing, China

Corresponding Author

Xinran Li

ABSTRACT

The desert principle is the core basis of the criminal justice system. It advocates that the penalty result should be relative to the severity of the crime. However, this principle has significant limitations in cognitive, moral and social effects. Through the specific analysis of the lack of a stable mental foundation at the cognitive level, the lack of a self-consistent conversion standard at the moral level and the possible social problems caused by the desert principle, this paper advocates that the penalty system should exceed a single measurement standard, and integrate the comprehensive measurement of retribution legitimacy, deterrence certainty, rehabilitation effectiveness and restorative participation. Finally, by comparing the punishment system and practical experience of Norway's rehabilitation model and England's strict retaliation model, it is demonstrated that moderately giving criminals better treatment than they "deserve" within the legal framework can reduce the recidivism rate of criminals and repair social relations, which is conducive to social public security governance and fairness and justice.

KEYWORDS

Desert principle; Penalty system; Restorative justice; Crime governance

CITE THIS PAPER

Xinran Li. The Limits of the Desert Principle: On Whether the Law Should Give Criminals Better Treatment Than They Deserve. Science of Law Journal (2026). Vol. 5, No. 2, 108-112. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/DOI: 10.23977/law.2026.050215.

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