High School

The common-law practice that allowed judges to suspend punishment so that convicted offenders could seek a pardon or demonstrate that they had reformed their behavior was known as ______________.

Answer :

Final answer:

Judgement suspension is a common-law practice that allowed judges to suspend punishment so convicted offenders could seek a pardon or demonstrate reformation. This traditional practice has shifted towards rehabilitation in recent times to prevent recidivism, particularly in non-violent or drug offenses.

Explanation:

The common-law practice that allowed judges to suspend punishment so that convicted offenders could seek a pardon or demonstrate that they had reformed their behavior is historically known as judgement suspension. This practice gave a chance to individuals who had been found guilty of crimes to avoid or lessen their punishments. This suspension of punishment was especially applicable in cases where there could be doubts about the person's guilt, concerns around their mental health, or when the punishment seemed overly harsh for the crime. Governors or presidents, under their respective jurisdictions, had the authority to grant pardons or commute sentences, essentially exercising this principle of judgement suspension.

However, with changes in legal practices and societal attitudes, there has been a shift towards principles like rehabilitation to prevent recidivism - the repetition of an offense by an individual who has already been convicted and punished for a similar crime. This approach aims to refocus the offender's energy on more socially productive pursuits. A major example of this can be seen in many European countries and U.S. states like Oregon, which have increasingly adopted rehabilitation policies particularly for non-violent or drug offenses.

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