In Cesare Beccaria’s “On Crimes and Punishment,” he discusses the specific laws that he believed to be barbaric and in need of reform to more efficiently protect the rights of victims and criminals. This text was well-received by many European emperors during his time and is utilized in the United States’ Constitution and Bill of Rights, as well as still being a reference for legal proceedings to this day.
Beccaria was born March 15, 1738 in Milan, Italy to an aristocratic father. He went to a Jesuit primary school where he became interested in mathematics. He continued his education at the University of Pavia where he studied law and became especially interested in philosophers such as Montesquieu. Beccaria became friends with two brothers, Pietro and Alessandro Verri and formed literary society with …show more content…
Many legal reforms in European nations directly correlate with Beccaria's work. It was published in many languages and became influential in the reform in many legal systems in countries all around the world. Shortly after it was published, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, motivated by Beccaria's argument against the execution of criminals, abolished capital punishment. In the United States’ Constitution, Beccaria's ideas about the manner in which crimes should be punished is shown in its right to public trial, right to be judged by a jury, right against unusual punishments, and right to speedy trial. While the topic of capital punishment is still being debated in many countries, Beccaria's views against it has shown the ineffectiveness of capital punishment in ceasing crime and led to many countries abolishing a government’s right to execute their
Beccaria was born March 15, 1738 in Milan, Italy to an aristocratic father. He went to a Jesuit primary school where he became interested in mathematics. He continued his education at the University of Pavia where he studied law and became especially interested in philosophers such as Montesquieu. Beccaria became friends with two brothers, Pietro and Alessandro Verri and formed literary society with …show more content…
Many legal reforms in European nations directly correlate with Beccaria's work. It was published in many languages and became influential in the reform in many legal systems in countries all around the world. Shortly after it was published, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, motivated by Beccaria's argument against the execution of criminals, abolished capital punishment. In the United States’ Constitution, Beccaria's ideas about the manner in which crimes should be punished is shown in its right to public trial, right to be judged by a jury, right against unusual punishments, and right to speedy trial. While the topic of capital punishment is still being debated in many countries, Beccaria's views against it has shown the ineffectiveness of capital punishment in ceasing crime and led to many countries abolishing a government’s right to execute their