Information and punitiveness: trial reconstruction in Ireland

Abstract

Article type: Research paper Structured abstract Purpose of this paper: to report results from a rape trial reconstruction in IrelandDesign/methodology/approach: A studio audience of 100 members of the Irish public were selected to attend a TV programme by the Republic of Ireland's national broadcasting organisation (RTÉ). This involved the examination of the sentencing of a rape case. The audience's sentencing preferences were measured at the outset, when they had been given only summary information about the case, and later, when full details had been disclosed. Findings:Previous research examining changes in public attitudes to crime and punishment has shown that deliberation, including the provision of new information and discussion with others and experts, tends to decrease public punitiveness and increase public leniency towards sentencing. An experiment in Ireland, however, showed that providing information does not invariably and necessarily moderate punitive attitudes. This article presents the results, and offers some explanations for the anomalous outcome. Research limitations:The pre/post design, in which the audience served as their own controls, is a weak one, and participants may have responded to what they took to be the agenda of the producers.-Due to the quality of the sample, the results may not be generalizable to the broader Irish population.