I remember a time, when I was growing up, when the biggest question in the world seemed to be whether OJ Simpson was guilty and what the punishment should be. Twenty years later and the world found itself similarly preoccupied by the Pistorious trial in South Africa. Suddenly everyone becomes a forensics expert, a lawyer, a judge and a jury; we become fascinated with punishment as though it somehow sets things right. There can be something oddly reassuring about the concept of punishment – perhaps it’s a hangover from childhood. You never want discipline but after it’s done there is the feeling that you broke a...
View Article
