ABSTRACT
The concept of retribution is used in a criminological context to refer to a specific purpose of punishment. The purpose of retribution is to express public disapproval of a specific criminal act (or omission) through the use of punitive measures. The concept of retribution is linked to the classical school of criminological thought, which has at its core a utilitarian philosophy of crime and punishment. Retribution is justified according to two general rationales. A moral justification imbues punishment with terminology such as 'wrong-doing', 'morally fitting' and 'merits'. It argues that punishment is just because wrongdoers deserve to be punished. For example, from a politically right-wing libertarian position – where the emphasis is on personal responsibility and individual freedoms – retributive punishment should only ever be used as a restricted form of 'just deserts', tailored to the unique circumstances of the specific individual in question.
