Penology
Alfesaani.
(Querist) 10 June 2017
This query is : Resolved
Hello. I had a question regarding punishments.
Now, from my understanding, if a person is tried and convicted of causing hurt to someone, then the punishment would be for the offense as one offense. For instance, if person A punched B 20 times, each punch causing a painful bruise on B's body, but if convicted, A won't get punished 20 times for 20 separate punches, but only one punishment for all those punches.
However, what I am not clear about, is what happens in the following scenario: A punches 20 different persons, in 20 different situations for totally different motives. If the 20 persons, all file separate cases against him, then, hypothetically speaking, if he were to be convicted in all those 20 separate cases, will he get sentenced for all those acts separately? Meaning, if for all single acts, he gets 1 year each, then he ends us getting a sentence of 20 years in total?
Now, I know some sentences are consecutive, while others concurrent, but my question is, legally, is it possible, that the sentence be consecutive, necessitated as a consequence of being tried in different courts?
Secondly, is it within the discretion of the court, to pass consecutive sentence in a scenario where all separate crimes are tried by the same court? If yes, then, does that not mean, hypothetically, that a person who hit a few people, ends up spending more time in prison than a convicted murderer who gets released after 10 or 14 years?
Thanks.
Rudrawar Narayanreddy
(Expert) 10 June 2017
Cases are different so no order as to concurrent or consecutive can be passed. So he will undergo imprisonment one after one in all cases. So he will spend total period in jail.
Rudrawar Narayanreddy
(Expert) 10 June 2017
Cases are different so no order as to concurrent or consecutive can be passed. So he will undergo imprisonment one after one in all cases. So he will spend total period in jail.
P. Venu
(Expert) 11 June 2017
Please state your specific problem, if any.
Alfesaani.
(Querist) 11 June 2017
Well, I am only trying to understand the issue as a student of law.
Supposing a man was convicted of killing someone and was sentenced for 14 years maximum, and let's say a person committed theft 4 times and is tried in 4 separate cases and convicted. In such a scenario, if the punishments are consecutive, then hypothetically speaking, will the thief not end up spending more time in jail than even a person who kills a man?
I hope you understood my point.
