Sentencing the multiple offender: Setting the Stage

This book examines the complexities of sentencing when the offender stands convicted of multiple crimes. Contributors tackle the problem of multiple-offense sentencing in different ways and diverse perspectives. They consider the potential justifications for adopting a different approach when sentencing multiple offenders, one that results in more lenient sentences than would be the case if the crimes had been committed (and punished) as single offenses. They also discuss the courts’ pragmatic solutions to the problem, including the totality principle and the concept of overall proportionality, as well as proposals to justify the so-called bulk discount for multiple offending. Finally, they address the tension that exists between multiple concurrent crimes, and multiple crimes committed and punished sequentially.