We give a good deal of leeway to our judges to take into account circumstances related to the individual as well as to the crime. While that may be difficult for people at times because of so-called lenient sentences being handed down, on the whole it has been to the good not only of the individual and the victim of the crime, but also to our society because it shows mercy and clemency. Our criminal system is not simply about retribution or revenge; it is also about rehabilitation and giving people a second chance. We are best able to deal with those issues ourselves and we should not hand over responsibility for them and be bound by a strict and rigid civil code, as is in place in Germany, France and Italy.