Addressing a lack of high-quality sentencing information in Ireland, this important book explores the factors that influence judges to impose a sentence of long-term imprisonment in sexual offence cases.

Judges have made it clear that sentences of 15 years to life imprisonment are to be reserved for offending that is ‘truly egregious’. Griffin, using a sample of 106 serious sexual offence cases, examines what this means in practice. The book is designed to be used in the classroom and the court, as well as providing a solid evidence base to inform policy-makers.

Diarmuid Griffin is Lecturer in criminal law at the University of Galway.

1. The principles of sentencing for sexual offences

2. Identifying and punishing a serious sex offender

3. Rationalising and recalibrating outcomes

4. Sentencing sex offenders to life imprisonment

5. The impact of legal constraints

6. Making sense of principle and practice

Appendix 1: Methodology

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