Criminal Justice and The Ideal Defendant in the Making of Remorse and Responsibility

Using empirical research, this book investigates how defendants are assessed by criminal justice decision-makers, such as judges, lawyers, probation officers, parole board members and those involved in restorative justice. What attitudes and emotions are defendants expected to show? How are these expectations communicated? The book argues that defendants, at various stages of the criminal justice process, are expected to show a (more or less) free acceptance of guilt and individual responsibility along with a display of ‘appropriate’ emotions, ideally including ‘genuine’ remorse. It examines why such expressions of individual responsibility and remorse are so important to decision-makers and the state. With contributors from across the world, including the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Slovenia, the book opens new comparative possibilities and research agendas.