ABSTRACT
This chapter describes similarities and differences, through collecting and arranging relevant bits of information and shows that the division of competencies between federal and regional authorities in sentencing matters is different between the countries for all three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. In Germany for example, criminal liability and (the imposition of) sentences are regulated on the federate level, while the execution of sentences is regulated on the regional level. In Canada, the division is somewhat similar, with regions having authority over prisons, hospitals, and asylums, and the administration of courts of criminal jurisdiction. In the US, in cases with multiple evaluators, depending on the jurisdiction and types of case, laws may either prohibit or permit consultation between the experts, but of course this is less common in adversarial proceedings. In Sweden, the time pressure is equally felt, posing a risk for the quality of assessment, which benefits from discussions and focused analysis.
