Abstract
This paper addresses the perceptions of the law students on human rights education, with regard to the purpose of the sentences, discussing whether they had learned the values passed on to them in class and if they were sensitive to this dimension of the human rights. As there is a popular tendency that, contradicting the Portuguese constitutional principles, defends more severe punishments, the article explored the reasons why the students’ perception and acceptance of these issues were aligned with this opinion. To achieve these objectives, data were collected through surveys with 13 questions answered by the Portucalense University students. The results showed that the students were not sensitised to the human rights dimension with regard to the purposes of sentencing. It was concluded that the majority of them were more receptive to the public opinion, published in the media channels, than to the knowledge that was provided to them in the Academy about the legitimation of the criminal punishment.
 
 Keywords: Purposes of sentencing, punishment, severe criminal sanctions, education for human rights, educational research.
Highlights
Criminal punishment must serve useful purposes for both the condemned and the community itself
The reasons that led to carry out the present study and to prepare a questionnaire were related to the fact that we had noticed the students, when learning criminal law, often disagree with constituted law, presenting hard opinions about the penal system, which is against to the teachings transmitted to them and to the portuguese legal system, given that the Portuguese Republic Constitution prohibits violent penalties
Have the students learned the values passed on to them in class and are they sensitive to human rights with regard to the purpose of the sentences? In order to respond to this concern, a survey was prepared and had taken place at the Oporto Portucalense University, in Portugal, during the criminal law classes, in the first month of the academic year of 2018–19
Summary
Criminal punishment must serve useful purposes for both the condemned and the community itself. These utilitarian purposes are compatible with the principles of human dignity and proportionality present in Articles 1 and 18 of the Portuguese Republic Constitution, respectively. The reasons that led to carry out the present study and to prepare a questionnaire were related to the fact that we had noticed the students, when learning criminal law, often disagree with constituted law, presenting hard opinions about the penal system (e.g., harsher punishment), which is against to the teachings transmitted to them and to the portuguese legal system, given that the Portuguese Republic Constitution prohibits violent penalties
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
