IELTS Writing Task 2

Can you check my essay for me, please? Thank you very much. Here is my topic.

Topic: Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each type of crime. Others, however, argue that the circumstances of an individual crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be taken into account when deciding on the punishment.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

My essay:

In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of crimes being committed. Many people believe that the circumstances of a personal crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be considered when deciding on the punishment. Personally, I think that these both two viewpoints have positive and negative consequences in equal measure.

On the one hand, there is no doubt that fixed punishments could be seen as a good legal system because of many of its positive results. First, the fixed punishments make civilians of a country understand easily the law and the punishments for committing. Therefore, civilians will know what crimes which they commit will have respective punishments. If there is a fixed punishment for each crime, all people who commit murder will get the same punishment. This system will certainly improve judgment efficiency. Since the punishment for each crime has already been given in law books, judges only have to pronounce the verdict. Also when the punishments are consistent with regulations established previously, there will be fewer law conflicts.

Nevertheless, I would argue that the circumstances of a crime and the criminal’s motivation should have an influence on the punishment. In many cases, there are extenuating circumstances behind many of the crimes committed, especially the minor ones. People often have this opinion because in many countries and communities there may be strong factors influencing crime rates such as poverty and blackmailing. Therefore, it is crucial for judges to consider all the circumstances surrounding a defendant or a case to issue a just and fair verdict.

In conclusion, both arguments have their merits. Despite the advantages of fixed punishments, it seems to me that the punishment for a crime should be made up based on all the factors leading up to the unlawful action rather than providing judgment based on the classification of crimes into types.