Life Imprisonment and Human Rights

Life imprisonment is the most severe penalty that can be imposed by the criminal justice system. Despite this, it is a relatively under-researched form of punishment and no meaningful attempt has been made to understand its human rights implications. This important collection fills that gap by addressing these two key questions: namely what is life imprisonment and what human rights are relevant to it? These questions are explored from the perspective of a range of jurisdictions. In addition it offers a dual perspective drawing on both empirical and doctrinal research. Under the editorship of two leading scholars in the field, this innovative and important work will be a landmark publication in field of penal studies and human rights.