Cesare Beccaria

"The foundation of peace is justice; the foundation of justice is truth."

"Laws written in blood are less effective than those written in reason."

"A government that fears the truth is a government that has failed."

"Justice requires that we hear the guilty man's defense as well as his accuser's charge."

"The happiness of the state depends on the virtue of its citizens and the justice of its laws."

"To judge fairly, one must be free from passion and prejudice."

"Laws are the price of civilization and the protection of liberty."

"A just society is one where even the humblest citizen has recourse to justice."

"Punishment should fit not only the crime, but the criminal and the circumstances."

"The true test of justice is how the powerful are treated, not the weak."

"Liberty is the natural right of man, and law is the means to preserve it."

"Society must choose between the rule of law and the rule of men."

"A law that is unjust is no law, and to obey it is to abandon justice."

"The greatest evil is not crime, but injustice in its punishment."

"All men are equal before the law, or the law has failed."

"Justice is the pillar upon which a free society must stand."

"When laws are known and fairly applied, crime diminishes naturally."

"The purpose of punishment is not to torment a sensible being, nor to undo a crime already committed. It is to prevent the criminal from doing further injury to society, and to deter others from committing the like offense."

"It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. This is the principal aim of every good legislation."

"The certainty of punishment is a better deterrent than the severity of the penalty itself."

"Laws are useless when they are not enforced with wisdom and moderation."

"The measure of crimes ought to be the harm done to society."

"A magistrate must be convinced of the truth before condemning the accused."

"Secret accusations and torture are the shame of every civilized nation."

"The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of justice and liberty."

"When laws are clear and simple, they are better understood and more readily obeyed."

"It is not the severity of punishment, but the certainty of it, that deters crime."

"A person accused of a crime has the right to be heard and to present evidence in their defense."

"Torture is a sure method of convicting an innocent person and of acquitting a criminal whose physique is robust."

"The true measure of a society is how it treats those accused of crimes."