The appeal of retributive justice as a theory of punishment rests in part on direct intuitive support, in part on the claim that it provides a better account of when punishment is justifiable than alternative accounts of punishment, and in part on arguments tying it to deeper moral principles.

How does retributive justice help victims?

retributive justice, response to criminal behaviour that focuses on the punishment of lawbreakers and the compensation of victims. In general, the severity of the punishment is proportionate to the seriousness of the crime.

Why is retributive justice used?

Retributive justice, like restorative justice, aims to establish or reestablish what Llewellyn and Howse (1998) call " social equality between the wrongdoer and the sufferer of wrong, " but it does so through punishment.