ABSTRACT
Making sentencing transparent In most Western societies judges are considered to be in a position of considerable power and social status and held in high public esteem. Although this may be slowly changing, judges still tend to be predominantly upper and upper-middle class white males (Mathiesen 2001, Forer 1994, The Independent 2002). The financial rewards of a judicial office may sometimes be lower than those offered in the private sector, but the rewards are still high in terms of professional respect and social status. However, this tradition of judicial power and respect is not something that can be taken for granted. A number of socialist regimes succeeded to a considerable extent in curtailing both the power and the public status of the judiciary. In a number of contemporary Western penal systems as well, the traditionally strong status of the judicial profession may not be as stable as before. Not only are judicial decisions subject to increasing media focus and public criticism, the judiciary is also under increasing scrutiny and its power subjected to a growing number of restrictions from within the penal system. This eagerness to reform has probably come furthest in the US.
