ABSTRACT
This chapter considers approaches to the delivery of justice which suggest that the answer to the problem of crime is to punish offenders with tough penalties. As Chapter 1 has illustrated, the notion of ‘justice’ and what it is needs to be carefully considered, taking into account, first, what is defined as crime; second, how existing power relations influence the concept of justice; and third, how forms of justice differ between countries and at particular points in history. When questions of justice arise in the contemporary media or in political debate, they often centre on what should be done with those defined as anti-social or ‘dangerous’, especially in the context of assuring and protecting the rights of victims.
