Sherlock sees justice done at the Imperial Fringe

What is the function of punishment? What sanctions can be considered just?

These are some of the issues discussed by Dr Lorenzo Pasculli at the popular Imperial Fringe event on criminality held on 3 November. Dr Pasculli delivers the Imperial Horizons course, ‘Conflict, Crime and Justice’ which examines how we approach criminality, war and justice in complex, globalized societies. Cunningly disguised as Sherlock Holmes, Dr Pasculli sparked debate on by showing the scenes from the popular TV show, ‘Game of Thrones’ in which Jaime Lannister, after attempting to murder young Bran Stark, gets his hand lopped off with a sword by a bandit. Visitors to the Fringe also voted using their phones in a poll on topical penal issues such as targeted killings of terrorists and chemical castration of sex offenders. A big plasma screen showed the results in real time to encourage discussion. Dr Pasculli’s students also attended the event, giving them the opportunity to gauge public opinion on concepts relevant to their studies. Students also had the chance to participate in other Fringe events, many of which showed the use of technology and psychology to detect and deter crime.