(Faculty of Law, University of the Free State, 2017) Magobotiti, C. D.
Like many societies, South Africa seeks to respond to the
increasing killing of police officers, by exploring possible tough
sentences. This article shows that sentencing does not take place
in a socio-historical vacuum. It is concerned about sentencing
proportionality as a limiting principle against possible excessive
penal measures. In this article, life sentence without parole is
assessed in terms of its justification and appropriateness. The
article views life sentences as measures that require necessary
parameters. It demonstrates that judicial decision-making is
informed, inter alia, by different sentencing theories, and remains
complicated.