access to the defendant's past criminal record
It is obvious that past events play an inevitable role in understanding certain motives for committing crimes. In British and Australian laws, however, there is no consideration about past criminal record, which evokes an argument from some lawyers who support taking this aspect into account before coming to the conclusion. Personally,I totally agree with the call for changes in these two nations' policy.
First and foremost, investigations of the crimes committed in the past provide deeper insights into the defendants' progress. A person who was once sent to prison for his act of violence is more likely to get involved in illegal fight, judging on his natural instincts and personality orientation. The more we understand about an individual's past, we bigger picture we can depict and therefore make a better decision for not missing any important possibility.
Secondly, past-based judgements help the authority to come up with appropriate approaches to deal with the criminals. It is clear that many crimes are committed due to social and family background, which have an enormous impact on a person's behavior and attitude. People who were treated badly and poorly educated as a child tend to act less modernisedly than those receiving proper care. Acknowledging the past criminal record can therefore raise the questions of the effectiveness of applied methods,together with providing education and rehabilitation policy that work for them.
Considering and analysing past events can take a huge amount of time and effort, but eventually increase the acuteness of decisions and possibility of more suitable dealing approaches. Therefore, it is vital for Britain and Australia to change their laws to guarantee a full-development program for criminals and a sustainable future for the society.