Principled Sentencing: Rethinking Penal Purposes Workshop

The current framework set out in the Sentencing Act 2020 claims any punishment is only justified in relation to one of five different purposes, including desert, crime reduction, rehabilitation, public protection and reparations. Sentencing decision-makers must support use of one or more of these purposes only. Yet, one issue is that the framework does not specify how potentially conflicting purposes might be used coherently together, such as when supporting punishment for an offender’s desert but also deterring others in future. As the government revisits the use of penal purposes in its independent sentencing review, what role, if any, should multiple penal purposes have in punishment? Or should we defend a new model?

This one-day workshop will explore theories of punishment in light of penal pluralism. It will begin with a keynote from Professor Thom Brooks entitled "Beyond Retributivism" defending a unified model of punishment.

THREE places are available for speakers. There is limited funding to support travel for postgraduates (and only available to Political Studies Association members). Delegates will receive free lunch and free drinks reception at conclusion of workshop. Workshop attendance is free.

The workshop is sponsored by the Political Studies Association (especially the Political Thought Specialist Group) and Durham University's Collingwood College hosting the event.

Please send abstracts (max 250 words) and to book a free place to thom.brooks@durham.ac.uk by 31 January 2026.