Unlocking lex talionis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this article, I operationalize the classical retributive formulation of proportionality—lex talionis, or ``an eye for an eye''—to give some conservative estimates of what it might entail as a limit on the severity of permissible punishment. Respecting lex talionis would entail a radically lenient transformation of the criminal legal systems of the United States (and many other countries), reducing incarceration for nonhomicide offenses by at least an order of magnitude.
Source: The Journal of Legal Analysis
DOI: 10.1093/jla/laaf014
Author: Christopher Lewis
Institution: Harvard University
Language: English
Topic: Criminal Law and Policy
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7128608946