The practice of sigetsuwa (mediation) on serious offences and its challenges in dawuro zone of snnpr: appraisal in light of the deterrence purpose of punishment

Abstract

The vital purpose of criminal law is prevention of offence thereby protection of society’s peace and security through warning and punishment. To realize the goal of crime prevention, it considers criminal punishment as a means for similar acts in future. When taking punishment aligned with potential offenders’ deterrence, the actual victim may dissatisfied while his injury taken as means than an end and decide to search extra options in which his victimization considered as an end. Because of different pushing factors, crime victims’ mediate with offenders’ any serious offences in Dawuro nation via practice of Sigetsuwa. The practice often facilitates offender’s freeing and innocents’ blame. The offender’s libration with innocent’s punishment goes against all purposes of criminal punishment and particularly affects the deterrence effect of punishment. The practice can have significance in resolving less serious offences and group conflicts amicably. Therefore, giving legal recognition for this part and restricting its interference in to serious offence is necessary. Verifying the extent, motives and halting alternatives of the practice’s involvement in serious offence is the concern of this study.