Quote by Cesare Beccaria
"The law's severity should be tempered by mercy, its rigidity by compassion, its certainty by doubt."
More from Cesare Beccaria
"It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them."
"The purpose of punishment is not to torment a sensible being, nor to undo a crime already committed."
"Certainty of punishment, even if mild, is more effective than severity."
"Laws are the conditions under which men, naturally independent, unite to form society."