A legally unrepresented Malaysian labourer has been sentenced to 7 years in jail and 10 lashes of the “rotan” for possessing 185 grams of Marijuana.
The sentence which was handed down in the city of Shah Alam in Malaysia will see S. Arunothayan in jail until after his 34th birthday.
While the labourer asked for leniency in his sentence promising not to commit an offence again and asking to be able to return to his family, the prosecution called for a harsh term for its deterrent effect and to “teach the accused a lesson.”
And that’s where it gets a little ugly.
The deterrent effect of corporal punishment has been the main justification for its continued existence as an judicial option in several countries. Whether pro or anti corporal punichment, many concede that it does have a deterent effect on potential criminals (whether correctly or incorrectly).
But when the “teach the accused a lesson” argument prevails it moves dangerously close to vengeance as the motivator.
Does a society really need vengeance for marijuana possession, which remains essentially a victimless crime?