By studying three extreme types of criminals: the serial killer, the sexual offender, and the high security prisoner, this seminar organized by Antoine Garapon and Denis Salas explains the criminal incidents that are becoming increasingly common in our democratic societies. In the eyes of the public, these crimes are heinous and unbearable, thus it looks to penal law to take charge and responsibility of these criminals, as if admitting that politics and religion have hopelessly failed. Consequently, in light of the many criminals we are faced with today, are we handling this situation appropriately ? Garapon and Salas call for new judiciary possibilities to allow for more humane responses.
Antoine Garapon is the Secretary-General of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Denis Salas is an assistant professor at the Institute of Advanced Political Studies in Paris.