Classical Criminology: The Crimes Act (Vic) 1958

Many principles of Classical Criminology can be seen in many forms of sentencing legislation and crime prevention methods used in contemporary society today. The Crimes Act ( Vic) 1958 is a prime example of legislation, which sets out an array of crimes and their prescribed punishments. One of the main points of the Classical School can be seen in this act, ‘the seriousness of the crime should be determined by the harm caused to society; crimes and punishments needed to be defined by legislature’. Section 18B of the Sentencing Act (vic) 1999 provides that the court may impose harsher sentences to offenders deemed a threat to the community. Another example in accordance to the principle that punishment should be proportionate to the crime and
should be based on deterrence rather than vengeance can be seen in the Criminal Justice Act (UK) 2003, the purpose of sentencing is to produce a reduction in crime (through deterrence) to reform and rehabilitate offenders.